PPOA Board Member
Security Officer, LASD
jaclounc@lasd.org
PPOA Board members convened a special meeting in late July to discuss membership in the Coalition of County Unions (CCU). Following months of research and deliberation, the Board made the decision to join the Coalition and is confident that PPOA members will benefit from the strength of numbers that comes with CCU membership. The CCU represents more than 30,000 men and women employed by the County of Los Angeles and negotiates for your fringe benefits collectively with no less than 10 CCU affiliate unions. We look forward to working with the CCU to protect and enhance benefits for PPOA members.
How does this affect sheriff’s security officers and security assistants? In a number of ways. First, our new CCU membership is what the union philosophy is all about: the actions of a large group of employees will always have greater impact on an employer than the actions of an individual. Coalition membership brings added strength to PPOA in terms of negotiations, resources, benefits and more. Another important development has to do with the CAPE/Blue Shield medical plan. During recent fringe benefits negotiations, the CCU decided that only dues-paying CCU union members would be able to participate in the CAPE/Blue Shield plans. Fortunately, our new status as a CCU member means PPOA members can continue to enjoy CAPE/Blue Shield coverage without issue. For more information about the CCU, please visit www.coalitionofcountyunions.com.
Security Assistants: Rumor Has It…
Anyone who has worked on this Department long enough knows that rumors can and will run wild. For the past year or so, I’ve heard multiple people mention that the Department was phasing out the security assistant classification. I don’t know if there is any validity to that, but I spent an afternoon with 20 brand new security assistants at their orientation the week that I was writing this article. Obviously, the Department still sees value in the work performed by our dedicated SAs. I do too, and I look forward to watching this current class of SAs graduate later this month.
Security Officers Going Above and Beyond
Last but not least, I want to acknowledge sheriff’s security personnel at Downey Court for raising more than $700 for the March of Dimes “March for Babies” campaign (see photo). Their ambition is a good example of the work that goes above and beyond their normal duties, and I applaud all of you who go the extra mile to help those in need. I just wish the public knew more about this side of law enforcement — which is why I’m happy to share news like this. If you have information about PPOA members doing excellent work, please let me know.
