Survey Finds Problems at DA's Office 
Employees complain: Document shows workers concerned about morale, communication. 

By Kenny Klein 
The Desert Sun 

 Employees of the Riverside County District Attorney's Office cite concerns with 
morale, distribution of work, office communication and the overall work environment 
in an internal survey obtained by The Desert Sun. 

The department concerns were revealed just one week after District Attorney Grover 
Trask criticized the county Public Defender's Office for poor administration, saying 
it avoids high-profile cases and bails out on cases at the last minute. 

SURVEY FOLLOWS CRITICISM:The survey, with 410 of the office's 600 employees 
responding, is the second one taken during Trasks's term and was released to 
managers last month during a retreat at Lake Arrowhead. 

"Absolutely, we would like to see the ratings higher," said Assistant District 
Attorney Sue Steding, who is based in Indio. "That's why we do surveys - to 
identify things and ways to do them better." 

The statements with which more than 20 percent of employees strongly disagreed 
asked whether the department distributed a fair and reasonable workload; had an 
adequate computer system; displayed high morale; had 

managers who created a positive and supportive climate; included staffers in 
the decision-making process; and had adequate office communication. 

Employees generally agreed that work gets done without wasted time or effort, 
that managers show confidence in the ability of their staffers and that the 
department demonstrates a commitment to continuous education. 

SPEAKING FOR RANK AND FILE:But if a score of five on the 1-to-10 satisfaction 
scale was the midpoint, that means employees disagreed with all but three of 
the 14 statements, said Daniel Fox, president of the Riverside County Deputy 
District Attorney's Association, which represents 140 district attorneys. 

"That's not a very good sign," Fox said. "As far as the rank-and-file is 
concerned, they are alienated from Mr. Trask, and that's not conducive to 
an efficient and productive working environment. That's what the survey 
really shows." 

"We don't feel we are told what's going on and (that) our input is worth 
anything. We don't feel we can trust the people we work for, and that's 
the key problem." 

He said the survey in general shows communication problems up and down 
"the management hierarchy." 

"It's that breakdown in communication that has created the greatest 
source of problems within the DA's office," Fox said.