Forty Years Shaped by Unforgettable Public Servants

One of the best things about being on the PPOA Board and being on the Sheriff’s Department for so long is the amazing people we get to serve with in all capacities. Since I stood in the Hall of Justice and got sworn as a sheriff’s dispatcher on Monday, June 16, 1986, I have met some amazing people. It would fill an entire issue to even try to list them all.

When I worked Norwalk Station as their crime analyst, I got to know a young, sharp deputy named Victor Ibarra. He was one of those types that came to me a lot for crime info because he liked catching criminals. Back in the ’90s, if you were an ambitious deputy, you got special assignment and promoted to Detective Bureau (DB) by having a record of solid work. When I ended up at Pico Station a couple of years later, Vic was a deputy there too, and he quickly impressed the station leadership and, in my opinion, one of the best sergeants in the history of the Sheriff’s Department, the late Kevin C. Lloyd.

Vic and I sat next to each other for several years in Pico DB, and I came across him when he was a sergeant at Crescenta Valley and again at College Bureau. When a party was thrown for Vic at College Bureau, I remember him saying how much he liked working there because they got to mentor and guide the dozens of cadets and Sheriff Security Officers who worked there, all hoping to become deputies one day. That hit home for me because of how important it is that we all mentor newer Department members.

Being on the Unit 621 Negotiations Team, I had the opportunity to be guided by sharp and passionate leaders like retired Custody Assistant Danya Hazen, retired Law Enforcement Technician Jim Blankenship and currently active Public Response Dispatcher Mike Salazar. None of us had similar jobs. But all of them believed that our members mattered, and that their working conditions were just as important as those of our sworn brothers and sisters. We all spent our careers supporting our tan and green heroes. We also had the privilege to serve on the PPOA board with amazing leaders like Art Reddy, Jim Vogts, John Stites, and finally, Steve Johnson. I have zero concerns that, as I transition to the world of a LACERA pension, PPOA is in good hands.

Forty winters have passed since I first had the honor to call myself a member of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. As a professional staff member, 90% of it as a crime analyst at Firestone, East L.A., Lennox, Norwalk, Temple and more special units than I can list, I have had the privilege of seeing a lot of amazing people put on a deputy sheriff uniform. I can honestly say most of them were true heroes who would put themselves in danger to save a stranger. If I had gone into medicine, or the law, or the private sector, would I ever be blessed enough to be surrounded by such people? Not a chance. With humble gratitude, I can sincerely say, I have had the best time of my life on this Department. Best regards to all whom I have had the honor of crossing paths with, and I hope you all stay safe — continue to thrive!