PPOA Board Member
Sergeant, LASD
jrios@ppoa.com
Editor’s note: Sergeant Jose Rios has been appointed by the PPOA Board of Directors to fill the unexpired term of Lieutenant Ryan Vienna, who resigned from the Board last month due to personal reasons. Sergeant Rios will be sworn in at the May 12 Board meeting.
This October, I will reach 23 years of service with the Sheriff’s Department. I consider it an honor to serve, and now, it is equally an honor to represent fellow members as a director on the PPOA Board.
By way of introduction, I will provide some background about my experience and some insight into my priorities and goals as your Board representative. My assignments have included Twin Towers Correctional Facility, Court Services East Bureau, Pico Rivera Station, East Los Angeles Station, on-loan to Narcotics Bureau and Custody Investigative Services. I am currently assigned to the Communications and Fleet Management Bureau as the Operations Sergeant.
It is my goal to work hard for better hours, wages and working conditions for my law enforcement brothers and sisters. My union experience includes serving on the Board of Directors of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS) in 2014. During that term (2014–2016), I was given the honor of serving as treasurer and was on the Board of Trustees for the Peace Officers Relief Fund (PORF).
Upon promoting to the rank of Sergeant and joining PPOA, I became a Unit Delegate at East Los Angeles Station, participated in Unit 612 contract negotiations with the County of Los Angeles, have been involved in PPOA’s financial audit reviews and supported PPOA at various events.
As a PPOA Board member, I am willing to dedicate myself to assuming vital roles within the organization and asking the uncomfortable questions about issues as they arise. To help assist members, I have focused on learning about union organizing by attending classes and seminars specializing in running a public union, grievances, arbitration and past practices.
As your Board representative, I will work against the current anti-police union mentality that has infected some of our populace. I will push our legislative advocates in Sacramento to fight against legislation that will harm policing throughout the state. Attacks on the Peace Officers’ Bill of Rights, qualified immunity, officer privacy, along with better training required by POST are at the top of my agenda.
At the local level, PPOA recently did a genuine service for its members by rejoining the Coalition of County Unions (CCU), and I will work to ensure that PPOA’s numerous affiliations like this bear fruit for the membership.
I look forward to representing all PPOA members and fighting hard for member rights during this critical time when policing faces reform here in Los Angeles County and across the country. My goal is to ensure that those who hear the call to protect the rights of others will also have their rights protected and be able to provide their families with the benefits and livelihoods they rightfully deserve.
Lastly, I want to thank the PPOA Board for giving me the opportunity to fill the vacated seat of Lieutenant Ryan Vienna. I wish Lieutenant Vienna every success in his future endeavors. Speaking of recent Board members, I also want to congratulate Captain John Satterfield on his promotion and thank him for his service to PPOA members as a dedicated Board representative.