Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner facts for kids
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| Department overview | |
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| Formed | 1982 |
| Jurisdiction | Los Angeles County, California |
| Headquarters | Boyle Heights, California 34°03′39″N 118°12′48″W / 34.0607°N 118.2132°W |
| Employees | 20009 (1921) |
| Annual budget | $218,797,000 (2010) |
| Department executive |
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| Parent department | Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors |
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner is a very important office in Los Angeles County, California. It helps figure out why people died, especially when the death was unexpected or unusual. This department was officially created in its current form on December 7, 1990. It was approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, which is like the main governing body for Los Angeles County. Even though the current department started in 1990, there has been a similar office in Los Angeles County since the late 1800s. In 2013, the Board of Supervisors changed the department's name from "Department of the Coroner" to "Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner" to better describe its work.
Contents
What the Department Does
The Medical Examiner-Coroner's office has a big job. Its main goal is to investigate deaths that happen in Los Angeles County when they are not from natural causes, or when a doctor isn't sure why someone died. This helps make sure that all deaths are understood and that public health and safety are protected.
Investigating Deaths
When someone dies in an unexpected way, like in an accident or if there's a crime, the Medical Examiner-Coroner's team steps in. They carefully examine the body and the scene to find clues. This can involve looking for injuries, taking samples, and checking medical records.
Who Works There
The department has many skilled people. Medical examiners are special doctors who have extra training in forensic pathology. This means they are experts at understanding how injuries and diseases affect the body. They also have investigators, technicians, and other staff who help with the important work.
Why It Matters
The work of the Medical Examiner-Coroner is very important for many reasons. It helps families understand what happened to their loved ones. It also helps the police solve crimes and makes sure that justice is served. By understanding causes of death, the department also helps public health officials learn about diseases and prevent future deaths.
More Information
You can learn more about this topic in Spanish here: Departamento Forense del Condado de Los Ángeles para niños
