UNION BACKS BACA RIVAL.

Byline: - Troy Anderson

Sheriff Lee Baca narrowly lost an endorsement vote Friday from the union representing Sheriff's Department sergeants, lieutenants and higher-ups, garnering 12 fewer votes than an employee challenging him in the March election.

The 6,500-member Los Angeles County Professional Peace Officers Association voted by that thin margin to endorse Sgt. John Stites, a board member of PPOA, with some members saying it's a reflection on Baca's poor management of the deficit-plagued department.

``I think it's an indication of how the membership feels about the current management,'' said Sgt. Dave Rash, a member of the association board.

Of 1,543 mail-in ballots cast, Stites received 529 votes, or 34.3 percent; Baca received 517 votes, 33.5 percent; and Sgt. Patrick Gomez received 181 votes, or 11.7 percent. An additional 312 members voted for ``no endorsement.''

The PPOA board will meet next week to vote whether to formally endorse Stites.

``I'm elated,'' said Stites, 48, who lives in the San Gabriel community of Avocado Heights. ``It's not often that someone from the ranks gets the endorsement from the union over the incumbent. I fact, I think it's unprecedented. I don't think it's ever happened before.''

In the 1998 election, PPOA endorsed former Sheriff Sherman Block just days before he died.

``I'm not really surprised he did fairly well there,'' said Parke Skelton, Baca's campaign consultant. ``This is his organization, he's on the board and I would have been surprised if he hadn't had some support in the organization.''

Political consultant Rich Lichtenstein said the vote is not very consequential in terms of Baca's ability to get re-elected.

``This is not the beginning of the end for Sheriff Baca by any means,'' he said. ``It's a union. You never have management and the work force lined up like that.''

Baca's challengers have criticized their boss for running his budget millions in the red; spending money on extravagances like a $2.4 million executive aircraft; and not changing policies that have allowed eight trustee inmates, some with violent convictions, to walk away from sheriff's stations since July 2001.

They have also criticized him for a deal that allowed him to purchase a $750,000 San Marino home with no money down, giving condoms to jail inmates, take-home vehicles to 300 department executives and volunteers, and his taking campaign contributions from the father of a San Fernando Valley drug dealer whose sentence was commuted.

Stites said the union is dissatisfied with Baca and his leadership.

``He's turned this department into a social agency rather than a law enforcement agency,'' said Stites, who oversees court services in El Monte.

Gomez, a 21-year veteran of the department, said the vote shows that the sergeants and lieutenants in the department don't want Baca re-elected.

``Part of it is he betrayed everybody by supporting a convicted drug dealer,'' Gomez said. ``Part of it also has to do with his $65 million deficit. The money didn't go to purchase equipment, hire additional personnel or staff vacant positions.''