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

Greg Torres

Support PPOA Members Impacted by Wildfires

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PPOA extends heartfelt thoughts to all who have been affected by the devastating fires in Los Angeles County. President Steve Johnson has visited or made contact with a growing number of PPOA members who have lost a home in the wildfires. Please click here to help us support PPOA members who have endured tragic loss. Donations to the Star & Shield Foundation are tax deductible to the extent allowable by law (Tax ID: 95-4752410). Every donation helps provide much needed relief to our impacted PPOA members and their families during this difficult time. Include a note on the donation form: “For personnel impacted by LA County wildfires.”

President Signs Social Security Fairness Act Into Law

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https://fop.net/2025/01/social-security-fairness-act-is-law/

SOCIAL SECURITY FAIRNESS ACT IS LAW — PRESIDENT SIGNS HR 82

1/5/25 — Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, was overjoyed while attending today’s White House signing ceremony at the White House at which President Biden signed H.R. 82, the “Social Security Fairness Act,” into law.

“Today, this 40-year injustice has ended. No longer will our hardworking public servants have money stolen out of their Social Security benefits every month,” said Yoes. “The Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset have finally come to an end.”

Under previous law, the WEP reduced the Social Security benefit earned by public employees who worked other jobs where they paid Social Security taxes long enough to qualify for the benefits. The GPO reduced or, in most cases, eliminated the benefit received by surviving spouses if they also received a survivor’s benefit from a public pension.

“I want to thank President Biden for his support for this legislation,” Yoes said. “Getting H.R. 82 to his desk was a monumental achievement, and all of us should be so proud of what we have accomplished here today. The fruits of our labor will be felt for generations to come.”

“We also have President-elect Trump to thank today,” Yoes said.  “Without his strong and timely endorsement of the bill, I do not think we would have had enough votes to pass the Senate.”

National President Yoes noted that the law’s effective date is for the “months after December 2023.”  He also cautioned that it will also take some time for the Social Security Administration to implement the changes.

“I am so very thankful for our members who answered our call to action by writing and calling their Representatives and Senators to help get this bill through Congress and to the President,” Yoes said. “We did it!”

PPOA Earns Significant Victory at ERCOM

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Office of Inspector General (OIG) Prevented from Questioning PPOA Members Regarding Law Enforcement Gangs

Despite a prior court ruling prohibiting the OIG and County from contacting Department members without abiding by the law, on May 12, 2023, the OIG sent letters to certain Department members and requested their participation in interviews as part of investigations into law enforcement gangs and police misconduct. The OIG letters instructed Department members to participate although deputies could invoke their Fifth Amendment rights to remain silent. The letters additionally stated the OIG would provide the interview statements to the Sheriff’s Department, the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.), and other governmental entities. Deputies were also asked to bring photographs of gang-related tattoos and were informed they would be asked to disclose who else might have similar tattoos along with any other information related to deputies being in gangs. 

 

On May 18, 2023, Sheriff Robert Luna sent a corresponding email that ordered the deputies to cooperate with the OIG interviews and reminded the deputies of a Department policy which stated no employee can take any action that could interfere with an investigation and warned that failure to cooperate could lead to termination. The deputies were not informed whether they would receive Lybarger or Garrity protections during the interviews. 

 

In response to these letters, PPOA and ALADS (Charging Parties) filed an Unfair Labor Charge against the OIG, County, and Department (Respondents). After a hearing and oral argument, on December 2, 2024, ERCOM ruled in favor of the Charging parties and noted in part:

 

“To avoid any future gamesmanship, we explicitly find that the Respondent violated Sections 5.04.240(A)(1) and (A)(3) of the Los Angeles County Employee Relations Ordinance (ERO) when it directed deputies to respond to the OIG’s May 12, 2023, letter and when Sheriff Luna issued the corresponding May 18, 2023, email. We also make clear that the Respondent is prohibited from implementing any and all bargainable effects of the Oversight Legislation until the bargaining process, including impasse procedures, has concluded.”

 

This case is one of five successful challenges by PPOA and ALADS to stop the attempt by the OIG and the County to obtain information from Department members illegally and without affording them legal protections under the law.

Click here to read a complete copy of the decision.

Best regards,

Steve Johnson, President

Los Angeles County Professional Peace Officers Association