Los Angeles County Professional Peace Officers AssociationLos Angeles County Professional Peace Officers Association

Greg Torres

URGENT NOTICE: Sheriff’s Mandated COVID-19 Registration

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Yesterday (3/10/22), the Sheriff’s Department began informing management and executives of its plan to begin unilaterally implementing discipline related to those employees who have not registered in either the Fulgent system or the Department’s stand-alone registration portal. It is reported that the Department will open administrative cases on subjects not in compliance with previously issued Performance Log Entries (PLEs) which may result in a 15-day suspension followed by termination. While the Department has met with PPOA on several occasions on issues surround the registration mandate, an agreement has NOT been executed, and is still being negotiated.
 
For those members already having received a PLE or have had administrative cases opened, PPOA will continue to defend them against any/all inappropriate discipline. Additionally, PPOA continues to file grievances on any/all proposed discipline to our members pending the completion of the Meet and Confer process and unilateral actions taken by the Department. 
 
However, with this information, all members should be advised, there is no current legal basis to continuing to decline the Sheriff’s mandated COVID-19 registration. For this reason, if you have not yet registered, PPOA now highly recommends all members to at least register within the Sheriff’s Department registration portal to avoid future discipline. Those members not registered at this point, and having not yet received a PLE, will also likely be subject to discipline. PPOA’s Legal Representation Policy and/or the Fraternal Order of Police Legal Plan, Inc. may not provide legal defense if you are disciplined for failure to register.
 
It is strongly encouraged that you complete your registration ASAP. 

PPOA Joins Campaign to Recall DA George Gascón

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At this week’s Board meeting (3/9/22), the PPOA Board of Directors committed to joining the campaign to recall LA County District Attorney George Gascón. Following a presentation by a principal of the campaign at the Board meeting on Wednesday, PPOA joined a rapidly growing list of organizations and law enforcement associations who support the recall, including the Association of Deputy District Attorneys, the LA Police Protective League, ALADS and more.
 
WHY THE RECALL IS CRUCIAL
Crime is skyrocketing in Los Angeles County due to Gascón’s soft-on-crime approach. His “special directives” and policy changes include no longer seeking death sentences and abandoning sentencing enhancements. This reckless social experiment to overhaul the County’s criminal justice system has even drawn fire and legal challenges from Gascón’s own prosecutors.
 
Enough is enough — residents and public safety employees need and deserve a prosecutor who enforces the laws, protects the public and honors victims’ rights.
 
The bi-partisan recall effort is led by co-chairs Tania Owen (retired LASD Deputy and wife of fallen SGT Steve Owen), Desiree Andrade (mother of Julian Andrade, whose killers face drastically reduced sentences due to Gascón’s policies) former LA County DA Steve Cooley, former Deputy DA Sam Dordulian, former Deputy DA Kathy Cady, and former LA City Councilman Dennis Zine. In addition, more than 30 cities in LA County have issued votes of “no confidence” in Gascón.
 
HOW YOU CAN HELP RIGHT NOW
If you are registered to vote in Los Angeles County, PPOA strongly encourages you to sign the petition today to recall Gascón. To do so, please visit: https://www.recalldageorgegascon.com/
 

Supervisors Vote to Overstep Sheriff’s Authority on Vaccine Mandate

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This afternoon (2/8/22), the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (BOS) voted to approve Agenda Item 18 (Amending the LA County Code to Enhance Compliance with and Enforcement of the County’s COVID-19 Vaccination Policy). 
 
This motion directs County attorneys to work with the County CEO and Personnel Director to develop proposed amendments to County Civil Service rules, giving the Personnel Director “overriding authority to discipline the employees of any county department for noncompliance with the county’s policy or directives related to the policy.” Those proposed amendments will be reviewed by the Board of Supervisors at its March 15 meeting for final consideration.
 
Supervisors Sheila Kuehl and Holly Mitchell introduced the motion, which was approved on a 4-0 vote, with Supervisor Kathryn Barger abstaining. In Supervisor Barger’s press release, she asserted that “this action is in response to an individual – Sheriff Villanueva, to be specific.” She also expressed that County administrators need to do more to work with the Sheriff’s Department and labor union leaders to reach a solution that will not result in a large-scale termination of essential workers.
 
PPOA Attorney Jim Cunningham delivered a message from PPOA to the Supervisors today to make sure they understood this motion violates the County charter and oversteps the Board’s authority. His letter to the Board included the following statement: “Any attempt to take over the Sheriff’s ability to oversee the disciplinary process for his employees, it is submitted, would certainly not survive legal scrutiny by the courts who would likely find the BOS exceeded their authority under well-established legal principals.” 
 
Following today’s hearing, County representatives contacted PPOA to begin discussions regarding this newly-approved motion. PPOA objects to this obvious abuse of authority and will fight vigorously to prevent any member from being harmed as a result of this action by the BOS. STAY TUNED for further developments on this matter.