PPOA Executive Director
wquint@ppoa.com
This month, PPOA proudly marks its 75th year of service, and although one can argue that this may not feel like a time to celebrate this momentous occasion, our membership must never forget PPOA’s remarkable commitment to continuing a “Tradition of Success” — no matter the year.
In 1951, a few members from the Sheriff’s Department, District Attorney’s Office and Marshal’s Office met in the Coroner’s inquest room at the Hall of Records to form the Los Angeles County Peace Officers Protective Association (POPA). Driven by a 1952 proposal to abolish all public employee retirement systems, our founders demanded a pay raise from their monthly salary of $319. Within five years, monthly salaries increased by more than 61% and the pension abolition proposal was defeated. POPA was growing in membership and was a new labor force to be dealt with in Los Angeles County. In 1978, the official name of POPA and its acronym changed to the Los Angeles County Professional Peace Officers Association (PPOA), but the original pronunciation has remained.
It truly feels like it was yesterday when PPOA marked its 70th-year milestone in January 2021. The previous 10 months (March to December 2020) included the most intense and complex health, economic, political and social issues for our 9,000 members and their families in recent memory. PPOA historically and collectively confronted the numerous twists and turns of the COVID-19 virus and the justice reform actions resulting from George Floyd’s death in May 2020. Our membership stayed unified then, and through the next five years we have remained passionately committed to continuing PPOA’s mission of promoting the professional interests of our members.
In August 2022, leadership history occurred at PPOA as then-Lieutenant Nancy Escobedo was selected by the Board to serve as PPOA president. Nancy is the first female member in PPOA’s history to be president. In December 2023, leadership history once again occurred at PPOA as Lieutenant Steve Johnson was selected by the Board to serve as PPOA president. Steve is the first African-American member in PPOA’s history to be president.
In November 2024, PPOA enthusiastically and successfully supported Nathan Hochman to replace the worst district attorney in the history of L.A. County.
In January 2025, two historic wildfires, the Eaton Fire in Altadena and the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, destroyed more than 16,000 homes. The actions of our first responders to save lives and property were truly heroic.
In April 2025, after months of meetings, the Coalition of County Unions (CCU), including PPOA and 14 other unions, negotiated a three-year (2025–2028) fringe benefit contract, which includes a much-sought-after new voluntary 401(k) benefit for rank-and-file members. In October 2025, as our Bargaining Unit (B/U) 612 members painfully know, the salary contract negotiations table for our LASD/LADA sergeants and lieutenants surpassed the one-year mark. Negotiations with all parties began in September 2024, and the current B/U 612 salary contract expired on January 31, 2025.
As PPOA enters its 75th year of protecting and enhancing our members’ individual and collective rights, PPOA will continue to defend our core belief that a well-compensated workforce attracts and retains the best professionals from a universe of qualified personnel that is becoming increasingly scarce. PPOA will be back at the salary contract bargaining table in January 2026 for B/U 612, followed by B/Us 621, 614 and 631/632.
For the past 75 years and counting, PPOA has stood as a proactive and imaginative association that, regardless of membership issues, conducts our business affairs consistently with our motto of “professionals representing professionals.” PPOA remains a highly respected public safety union at the local, state and federal levels, and our Board of Directors remains strongly committed to continuing our “Tradition of Success” in serving a satisfied membership. Happy 75th birthday, PPOA.