PPOA Week in Review: Jan. 28, 2023

Community Mourns Riverside County Deputy Darnell Calhoun

January 21: Riverside County Deputy Darnell Calhoun was laid to rest last Saturday. The 30-year old deputy was fatally shot while responding to a domestic violence call in Lake Elsinore on January 13th. He is survived by his pregnant widow and their two young children.

Following a 50-mile procession from the funeral home in Murrieta, the memorial service was held in Rancho Cucamonga. Sadly, it marked the second time the Riverside County Sheriff's Department eulogized a deputy killed in the line of duty in recent weeks.

Executive Director Wayne Quint Jr. attended the memorial service on behalf of PPOA.

LA County Federation 'House of Labor' Meeting

January 23: Los Angeles County Federation of Labor members, including PPOA Executive Director Quint, gathered on Monday evening at the Electrical Training Institute in Commerce for the monthly "House of Labor" meeting. These sessions help County union leaders compare notes and consult with each other about the many issues impacting public employees throughout the County.

The County Fed is comprised of more than 300 unions and labor organizations, representing more than 800,000 members.

COVID-19 Legal Meeting

January 24: PPOA reps hosted their weekly teleconference to assess the continued impact of COVID-19 on our membership. Meeting participants included President Nancy Escobedo, Executive Director Quint, Senior Labor Rep. Venise Wallace, Labor Rep. Teresa O'Neil, Intake Rep. Kevin Thompson and PPOA legal counsel.

Click here for LA County daily COVID-19 data.

Supporting Health and Fitness for Members at West Covina Court

January 24: PPOA staff delivered a treadmill to the West Covina Court for use in the staff gym. In a continuing effort to support members, PPOA's Star & Shield Foundation teams up with New Life Cardio Equipment (NLCE) each year to secure a limited number of treadmills and ellipticals for employee gyms at facilities throughout the County. The machines are purchased by the Foundation at discounted pricing and delivered by PPOA to units in need of new exercise equipment. We've also arranged for NLCE to extend special pricing to any PPOA members interested in purchasing cardio equipment for personal use at home. For more info, call New Life Cardio at (800) 401-2446 and tell them you're a member of the Professional Peace Officers Association.

Proud to Support Medical Examiner-Coroner Members During Recognition Week

January 25: PPOA was honored to bring our BBQ trailer to the LA County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner to provide lunch in acknowledgement of the diligent work of our members at that location.

National Coroner/Medicolegal Recognition Week is observed during the last week of January, each year.

Star & Shield Foundation Board of Directors Meeting

January 25: The monthly Board of Directors meeting for the Star & Shield Foundation was hosted on Wednesday. Established in 2001, the Foundation has proudly raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for worthy organizations and causes — including its most important mission to provide support for families of fallen officers.

Meeting participants included Foundation Directors Nancy Escobedo, Jay Chapman, Tony Coleman, Christopher Lee, Kevin Thompson, and Margarita Turpen. Gold Lee (Lewis, Marenstein, Wicke, Sherwin and Lee) and Wayne Quint Jr. also attended as guests.

Meet and Confer with LADA Bureau of Investigation re: SB2

January 25: PPOA took part in a "Meet and Confer" with LADA executives to discuss the impact of Senate Bill 2 (SB2) This legal reporting requirement was signed into law on September 31, 2021. Click here for details about SB2. Beginning January 1, 2023, all California law enforcement agencies have been obligated to report certain events involving peace officers they employ, as specified in 13510.9 PC.

PPOA Legal Counsel along with President Escobedo, 1st Vice President Chapman, and Executive Director Quint participated in this conference.

Commander Joel Barnett Resigns From PPOA Board; Seat Opens for Director

January 27: Commander Joel Barnett submitted his resignation from the PPOA Board of Directors yesterday afternoon. The 32-year LASD veteran has been a dedicated PPOA board member since June 2021 and this Association is grateful for his leadership and professionalism.

The resignation leaves the Unit 615 board seat vacant. Per PPOA bylaws, only Captains and Commanders currently serving as PPOA delegates are eligible to be appointed to fill this seat.

If you are a Captain or Commander currently serving as a PPOA delegate and interested in being considered to fill the vacant board seat, please send email to info@ppoa.com no later than February 6, 2023. Members who express interest in the appointment will be asked to attend the board meeting on February 8th to speak with PPOA directors about the potential to fill the vacant board seat.

PPOA Heroes Ride Put on Hold for 2023

For nearly a decade, the much-anticipated, escorted ride through Los Angeles brought together hundreds of motorcyclists and supporters each year to honor fallen officers and military veterans. Unfortunately, the event has desperately needed corporate/title sponsors for the last few years, as the ride entry fees have not come remotely close to covering expenses. As a result, the Star & Shield Foundation Board of Directors recommended the event be put on hold in 2023 as PPOA searches for sponsors. We gladly welcome any corporate/title sponsor leads and ask that contact information be emailed to info@ppoa.com. For those who have participated in or volunteered at this event in the past, please know it is our goal to reconvene the Heroes Ride in 2024.

Fraternal Order of Police News Update

PPOA members have long benefitted from our longtime affiliation with the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the world's largest organization of law enforcement officers, with more than 364,000 members in more than 2,100 lodges nationwide. All active PPOA members are part of California FOP Lodge 1. Click here to read the latest CAFOP news update.

UPDATE — Important news regarding FOP membership for retired PPOA members:

When a sworn PPOA member retires and wishes to reactivate his/her FOP member benefits, the following step must be taken:

To reactivate your membership as a retired peace officer, you will need to pay FOP annual dues of $40 for 2023. To do so, please send an email to the FOP Lodge 1 Secretary: wmwestermann@sbcglobal.net. Be sure to include your full name and advise that you are a retired PPOA member requesting membership with FOP.

Please make it a point to check out Washington Watch — a weekly update provided by the National FOP. We encourage PPOA members to stay up to date on the legislative news and activity impacting public safety personnel nationwide.

Click here to read this week's Washington Watch.