John A. Franklin, a 36-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, was promoted to the rank of Commander by Sheriff Lee Baca in April of 2007. He began as one of the Commanders of the Department. In this assignment, Commander Franklin served on the Risk Review, Performance Mentoring, and Executive Force Review Committees. Additional responsibilities included developing problem solving strategies to address the critical issues identified by the Executive Planning Council. Commander Franklin is currently a Commander in the Correctional Services Division where he oversees the Inmate Services Bureau, Food Services Bureau, Community Transition Unit, and the Correctional Innovative Technologies Unit.
Commander Franklin’s career with the Sheriff’s Department began in February of 1972 at the Hall of Justice Jail. Upon graduation from the Academy, he was assigned to Men’s Central Jail. He transferred to Lomita Station in 1976 and then worked a variety of assignments before being promoted to the rank of Sergeant in June of 1986. As a Sergeant, he worked various custody and patrol assignments, as well as the Pre-Employment Unit. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in March of 1997 and worked several custody and patrol assignments in addition to the Pre-Employment Unit. Commander Franklin promoted to Captain in 2001 and assumed command of Twin Towers Correctional Facility, followed by Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau.
Commander Franklin received an Associate of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts from Cypress Junior College in 1970 and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Speech Communication from California State University-Long Beach in 1974. Commander Franklin resides in Rancho Palos Verdes and has been married for 33 years to his wife, Rosemary. He has three children: Joe, a fireman/attorney for the City of Los Angeles; Amy, director of teen programs for the YMCA; and Ann, account manager for Mintell. Commander Franklin’s hobbies include spending time with his family, power walking and driving his 1957 Chevrolet hotrod.
