PPOA Week in Review: October 17, 2020

October Issue of Star & Shield Magazine Hits Mailboxes

PPOA members received the October issue of Star & Shield magazine last week. Inside, you'll find:

Choices medical/dental rates
PPOA board articles
2020 voter guide from PPOA
$100 hidden word contest
PPOA board candidate statements and more...

Click here to read the October issue of Star & Shield.

Meeting with Assemblymember Jackie Irwin

October 12: PPOA’s legislative representatives in Sacramento – Lang, Hansen, Giroux & Associates— hosted a Zoom meeting with Assemblymember (AM) Jackie Irwin on Monday. During this meeting, President Rhodes was given the opportunity to describe the diversity of PPOA member classifications (sworn supervisors, DA Investigators, ME-C Investigators, Custody Assistants, Law Enforcement Technicians, Security Officers, Criminalists, Crime Analysts, etc.) and the subject matter expertise they represent. President Rhodes stressed the need for all voices to be heard during these very emotional times to which AM Irwin was receptive. AM Irwin is seeking re-election in her district which includes the northwestern portion of Los Angeles County.

LA County Supervisors Discuss Parks Bureau

October 13: The weekly Board of Supervisors hearing included an in-depth discussion about county parks and the public safety services provided by LASD Parks Bureau. Click here to read the board motion titled "Ensuring Reliable and Consistent Public Safety in Los Angeles County Parks"

Conference with LASD re: Staffing Curtailments

October 13: During the Board of Supervisors hearing mentioned above, it became evident through comments made by Sheriff Villanueva that the Department is now moving forward with plans to curtail personnel at PDC-South and Parks Bureau. Following that hearing, PPOA President Rhodes, Vice President Jim Blankenship, Executive Board Member Tony Coleman, Executive Director Wayne Quint Jr. and PPOA Legal Counsel Dennis Hayes participated in a conference call with LASD executives to negotiate the procedures to follow for the planned staffing curtailments at the two units. PPOA strongly disagrees with the Department’s initial proposal for procedures regarding the anticipated curtailment transfers and submitted a counter-proposal to the Department yesterday. PPOA continues to wait for the Department to provide final seniority rosters and other essential information to be reviewed. PPOA will update members following the next meeting (tentatively scheduled for next Tuesday) with the Department. At the time of this update, there is no agreement but negotiations are continuing. PPOA members at PDC South and Parks Bureau are encouraged to provide information, ask questions, and mitigate rumors about these curtailments by contacting PPOA at info@ppoa.com.

PPOA Board of Directors Meeting

October 14: The monthly PPOA Board of Directors meeting took place on Wednesday. Directors participating included: President Tab Rhodes, Vice President Blankenship, Secretary Coleman, Treasurer Robert Maus and Directors Joyce Kato, Carlos Marquez (via phone), Chris Lee, Tony Romo, John Satterfield, Jim Schallert (via phone) and Ryan Vienna. Collectively, the PPOA board brings nearly 300 years of county experience to the table. During this meeting, interested candidates from the Security Officer/Security Assistant delegate cadre, presented their desire, qualifications, and visions, related to filling the now vacant spot on the Board due to the retirement of Security Officer Jody Clounch. Following the presentations of the candidates, and a very lengthy and lively discussion by the Board, Security Officer and PPOA Delegate Henry Jimenez was chosen to serve the remainder of Officer Clounch’s term. Henry will be sworn in as a Director at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting in November. Thank you to all who were interested and dedicated enough to participate in the selection process.

California Association of Women Prosecutors Support Re-Election of LA County D.A. Jackie Lacey

October 14: On Wednesday, two dozen elected female District Attorneys from counties throughout California announced their collective support for LA County DA Jackie Lacey in her bid for re-election. The endorsement included the following: "As female elected District Attorneys, we are a diverse group spanning the state of California: we are mothers, sisters, partners, wives, members of the LGBTQ community, Republicans, Independents, Democrats; we live in rural areas of our state, metropolitan areas, and everywhere in between, and are united in our pride to support Jackie Lacey in her re-election this November...As elected female District Attorneys from across California, we support Jackie Lacey for District Attorney. We encourage the good citizens of Los Angeles County to support her as well."

Click here to read the full announcement of support.

COVID-19 Conference with PPOA Legal Team

October 15: On Thursday, PPOA hosted its weekly legal meeting in order for President Tab Rhodes, Executive Director Wayne Quint Jr., Senior Labor Rep. Venise Wallace, Labor Rep. Teresa O'Neil, Intake Representative Kevin Thompson and PPOA attorneys to address and analyze COVID-19 issues impacting PPOA members.

Meeting with Assemblymember Blanca Rubio

October 15: PPOA’s legislative representatives in Sacramento – Lang, Hansen, Giroux & Associates— hosted a Zoom meeting with Assemblymember (AM) Blanca Rubio. During this meeting, President Rhodes was given the opportunity to describe the diversity of PPOA member classifications (sworn supervisors, DA Investigators, ME-C Investigators, Custody Assistants, Law Enforcement Technicians, Security Officers, Criminalists, Crime Analysts, etc.) and the subject matter expertise they represent. AM Rubio, the new leader of the Moderate Caucus, will be a key player in maintaining collaborative conversations in the upcoming legislative session. President Rhodes expressed PPOA’s desire to be of assistance and partnership with the State Assembly in creating appropriate and objective legislation. AM Rubio is seeking re-election in her district which includes many cities of the San Gabriel Valley.

Coalition of County Union Meeting

October 15: PPOA Executive Director Quint participated in a conference call with fellow representatives of the Coalition of County Unions (CCU) on Thursday to discuss a previously negotiated medical enrollment eligibility rule.

The CCU collectively represents more than 30,000 union members employed by the County of Los Angeles and is their unified voice on County-wide matters such as health insurance, vacation pay, retirement, and other issues that impact County employees and their families.

Click here for more information about the CCU.

Fraternal Order of Police

October 16: Click here to read the latest weekly news update from the California Fraternal Order of Police (CAFOP).

PPOA is a proud member of California FOP Lodge 1, which represents public safety organizations throughout Los Angeles County. The statewide CAFOP is comprised of 30 lodges with 17,000 members.

NO on Measure J:

Protect Essential Workers

Protect essential workers! Don’t let L.A. County supervisors permanently cut $500,000,000 from essential services provided by PPOA members, nurses, social workers and other public servants. Measure J is a step backward for racial justice, as it will decrease services and resources in communities where additional investments are critically needed. Vote no on Measure J!

Visit NoMeasureJ.com for more information.

Click here to see the No-on-Measure-J television advertisement sponsored in part by PPOA.

Comparing Candidates for LA County District Attorney?

There IS no comparison! Re-Elect Jackie Lacey

Ready to compare the candidates? There is no comparison. Judge for yourself:

District Attorney Jackie Lacey has spent most of her professional life as a prosecutor, manager and executive in the LA County District Attorney’s Office.

George Gascón has never tried a single case.

District Attorney Lacey has provided stellar leadership at the helm of the largest local prosecutorial office in the nation, with a workforce of approximately 1,000 lawyers, 300 investigators and 800 support staff employees.

Gascón was the architect behind the disastrous Prop 47, which largely decriminalized theft and drug crimes; and supported Prop 57, which allows early release for so-called “non-violent offenders” like human traffickers responsible for sex acts with minors.

Please encourage all LA County voters to re-elect Jackie Lacey for LA County District Attorney!

Visit J ackieLacey.com for more information.

YES on Prop 20:

Protect Victims of Violent Crime

Vote YES on Prop 20 to fix glaring flaws contained in recent criminal justice reforms. Under Prop 47, rape of an unconscious person, trafficking a child for sex, assault on a peace officer and felony domestic violence are not classified as “violent felonies” — making criminals convicted of these crimes eligible for early release. Vote YES on Prop 20 to fix these injustices!

Visit KeepCalSafe.org for more info.

PPOA Endorsements for November 2020 Election

Attention PPOA members: please be advised that all California voters will receive a vote-by-mail ballot for the November 3, 2020, General Election. County

elections officials will begin mailing vote-by-mail ballots to all active registered voters by October 5, 2020. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by November 3, 2020; ballots returned at a secure ballot drop box must be deposited by 8:00 p.m. on November 3, 2020.

Members are encouraged to use the PPOA endorsement guide below when voting in the upcoming election:

Los Angeles County