PPOA President
Lieutenant, LASD
sjohnson@ppoa.com
On July 19, the Department rolled out its revised force policy to personnel. This was done subsequent to a lengthy, nearly year-long meet-and-confer process that the Department engaged in with PPOA (and ALADS). Blatantly missing from this rollout was the in-depth, experiential training needed to implement this policy. Ultimately, this policy will cause our members to rethink and reexamine their use and review of force.
The impact of this rollout caused confusion and concern among personnel and also negatively impacted trust. Through PPOA’s efforts to protect its members, on August 18, the Department “rolled back” this policy and reverted to the previous force policy. This was enacted pending adequate training and the production of relevant documentation resources, namely, surrounding concerns with the pointing of a firearm policy (PFP).
Portions of this revised policy are now mandated by state law. Nonetheless, if the Department intends to shift behaviors, performance and outcomes through this policy, “real” training is required. Merely watching videos of a new policy does not fill the requirement of training, particularly when muscle memory is partnered with critical thinking in life-threatening incidents. An essential part of “training” is multi-faceted learning that enables personnel to reproduce the mastery of skill sets.
The esprit de corps of our members took another hit when, on September 18, the Department rolled out its new policy, MPP 3-01/050.82 Prohibition of Law Enforcement Gangs and Hate Groups.
While this policy is mandated by California penal code 13670, it served as a not-so-subtle reminder of the chasm between our hardworking members, who have the highest integrity and the negative public sentiment, which allowed the legislation to pass in 2021.
Without question, if you are contacted to be interviewed by any investigative entity, including the OIG, on any matter that could be related to law enforcement gangs, your first action should be to contact PPOA. You cannot anticipate the scope, intent or nature of the investigation, and therefore, getting representation is always in your best interest.
PPOA firmly asserts (and MPP 3-01/050.82 states) that our members are entitled to due process during any and all related investigations with the protections of the Peace Officer Bill of Rights. “Employees shall be entitled to the protections afforded under Government Code section 3300-3312” represents these protections documented in this new policy.
The current landscape we encounter of massive overtime, personnel shortages, oversight entities and negative public viewpoints has weighed heavy on the morale of our members. PPOA serves to counter this by defending, appreciating and highlighting your exceptional work and providing you with top-notch service. We are honored to fight for you on all fronts, at all times, and we will continue to aggressively do so. Until next time, be safe and look out for one another. See you very soon!
