Three Decades Strong

Hello, partners. This year marks 30 years that our classification has been part of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. In 1994, the Sheriff’s Department absorbed the Los Angeles County Marshals’ Department and kept the civilian Security Officer position, thus creating the Sheriff’s Security Officer classification.

The classification has gone from being exclusively assigned to court entry points in 1994 to now being in courthouses, hospitals, Department of Mental Health facilities, Department of Public Social Services offices, the Hall of Justice, the Sherman Block Building, patrol stations, Aero Bureau, Homicide Bureau, Antelope Valley College, Community College Bureau, Parks Bureau, Probation facilities and Pitchess Detention Center — just to name a few.

As our classifications expanded throughout the County, so have our responsibilities, training and liabilities. We have been utilized by the Department to assist those destabilized by natural disasters like wildfires, geared up in the event of civil unrest, prepared to administer Narcan to people who have overdosed and/or been exposed to fentanyl and, most importantly, prepared to respond to an active shooter incident. As I have told some of our partners, in the event of a mass shooting, only two classifications from LASD are going in while shots are being fired: sworn personnel and us. 

We hold a vital role in L.A. County and the Department, and in the upcoming months I will assert our value to anyone who questions it.

FEBRUARY DELEGATES MEETING

Last month, I was privileged to meet PPOA delegates at our first meeting of the year. We exchanged ideas and issues members were experiencing, and I shared the goals I expect to accomplish for us. 

621 MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Meet Sheriff’s Security Officer Santiago “Sonny” Aoalin.

Officer Santiago is an SSO assigned to the Sherman Block Building, County Services Bureau (CSB). He is also the vice president of the Los Angeles County Filipino-American Employees Association (LACFAEA), an organization founded in 1974 to provide and develop leadership, advocacy and dynamic representation for a synergistic employer–employee relationship. With LACFAEA, Santiago chaired community events that were attended by dignitaries, diverse ethnic groups and stakeholders in the County of Los Angeles. He has gained recognition from the California State Assembly; the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, including Supervisor Hilda Solis; and the Mayor of Arcadia.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Officer Santiago was trained and certified by the Department of Public Health as a Community Public Health Ambassador. He helped raise awareness and aided several disadvantaged residents by delivering meals to their homes, allowing them to stay safe from potential risks.

The nine-year LASD veteran is also an active volunteer for Volunteers Cleaning Communities (VCC), a nonprofit organization that cleans litter from the streets, highways, illegal dump sites and abandoned homeless encampments. He also used to be involved with TreePeople, aimed at the restoration of the Santa Monica Mountains.

Officer Santiago was inspired by his belief and motto quote, “One good thing a day from each of us (LASD) is 20,000 good things a day for the people and the communities that we serve.”

When an individual has a career serving the community and still makes time to continue to help others, it speaks volumes of his character. I am proud to call Officer Santiago a partner in our Unit 621 family. Santiago, thank you for your service.

I plan on sharing the stories of our great partners. Please contact me at (323) 400-9590 or lorozco@ppoa.com with your stories or events. Also, feel free to nominate a partner who you feel should be recognized (especially those who served or are currently serving in the armed forces for a future article). Stay safe, partners.