PPOA President
Lieutenant, LASD
sjohnson@ppoa.com
For nearly 75 years, PPOA has maintained a legacy of trust and service. This heritage is evidenced by our proud membership, which is comprised of both active and retired individuals. Our legacy is exemplified through the unique power of our bargaining units; collectively, we are stronger.
In 1951, a small gathering of personnel met in downtown Los Angeles to form what would later become the Peace Officers Protective Association, POPA. At that time, member dues were about one dollar per month, there was one staff member and the average monthly paycheck was roughly $355. In 1978, our name was changed to the Professional Peace Officers Association, but in recognition of our heritage, its pronunciation (POPA) remained unchanged.
In these early years, POPA played a key role in ensuring personnel no longer had to purchase their own firearms and safety equipment. In 1972, our association’s efforts resulted in the successful implementation of the military buy-back program, allowing peace officers to make retirement contributions for their years of military service. Our legacy will advance into the future based on our foundational traditions of member care.
Within the past few weeks, I have had the honor of engaging in dialogue with many retirees, several of whom had served during the 1960s. They recognized the challenges we now face in law enforcement as things they never remotely foresaw. Society is vastly different from a mere decade ago, predominantly with regard to reformist policies, legislation and technological dynamics as they pertain to law enforcement.
Nonetheless, our retired brothers and sisters continue to express their faith that we, as active members, will traverse this new era of policing with dignity while ensuring our protection and safety. I, too, share that same sentiment and am beyond honored to be a part of this outstanding organization.
Last month, PPOA filed a lawsuit against the Office of Inspector General (OIG). The writ of mandate arises from a subpoena issued by the OIG in December of 2023, which seeks protected, confidential information from our members. The subpoena is in clear violation of an order from the Los Angeles County Employee Relations Commission (ERCOM), which states the County and the OIG must, at first, meet and confer on the implementation of this process. In essence, the mandate seeks to stop the OIG from receiving these records until negotiations are complete. We will continue to update our members on the progression of these legal proceedings.
I recently attended the California Coalition of Law Enforcement Associations (CCLEA) board meeting in Sacramento. I was joined by approximately 30 representatives from similar associations and we discussed the unique obstacles that most departments are encountering. Retention, recruitment, morale and mental health were some of the top common challenges throughout the state. Potential remedies and benchmarks for these challenges were also discussed.
I also attended a press conference while in Sacramento, which was hosted by elected officials and Department heads throughout California in support of Assembly Bill 1772, which will provide harsher consequences for serialized retail theft.
On February 1, I had the honor of attending the badge ceremony of four freshly minted sergeants and one new lieutenant from the District Attorney’s Office. I would also like to acknowledge the 13 individuals of Class #110, who, on February 2, graduated from the Custody Assistant Academy. I am immensely proud of the accomplishments of both groups and wish them much success in their new roles.
On a personal note, I would like to express that PPOA is fiercely engaged in the short-term and long-term battle for your well-being and safety on multiple fronts at all times. We will continue to answer the call toward our legacy, which is to valiantly fight for our members. Please do not hesitate to reach out, and best of luck as we advance through the early part of 2024.
