Star & Shield Magazine

Make a Difference: Join the PPOA Team!

Where has the time gone by? We are past the middle of 2023, and 2024 will be here before we know it. Elections for Board positions will take place in October, and as we look toward the future, I believe it is essential to continue having strong, dedicated individuals leading PPOA. Although it is important to have institutional knowledge, it is equally important to have leadership with fresh ideas to move forward with the union movement. You may be reading this asking yourself, “Why should I consider running?” Below are a few reasons. Leadership plays a crucial role in shaping policies, decisions and direction in every organization.
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Hot Labor Summer

On Wednesday, August 30, PPOA will host our 22nd Annual Pre-Labor Day BBQ for all PPOA members and their significant others. This fantastic event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Biscailuz Training Academy’s “grinder” area. A freshly grilled lunch with all the fixings will be served under the big top. To celebrate the exceptional labor services that have been selflessly provided by PPOA members to those who live and/or work in Los Angeles County, your lunch is free! This annual PPOA tradition for over two decades is a significantly important reminder that since 1894, the nationwide holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September is Labor Day. Read More

Collaboration Is Key for Proper Navigation of Drafting and Scheduling

With drafting and staffing continuing to be an issue, we encourage you to ask questions to confirm if some of the methods being used are in line with policy. A unit’s objective is to staff an in-service, and some circumstances are unavoidable. But how it’s done could be problematic. There have been times recently when matters of drafting or pre-drafting have come into question. Sometimes, it’s interpreted incorrectly or not understood clearly. Through collaborative efforts with the units themselves or through the Board of Labor Relations and Compliance (BOLRAC), we have avoided some members having their lives and family time more adversely affected than it already is. Read More

Tackling Issues, Addressing Rumors and Making a Difference for Sheriff’s Security Personnel

Hello to my fellow PPOA members. It’s been a while since I have had a chance to write an article, but please know that I’ve been addressing a number of ongoing issues. From the uniform issue to PPOA legislative action to Department staffing shortages, there has been plenty to address here at PPOA. I will go into detail in the next few paragraphs. I hope all the new Sheriff’s Security Officers (SSOs) are becoming acclimated to your assignment. It’s been a month, and I would like to know how members of Class #58 are doing on the job. Feel free to send an email to ggarcia@ppoa.com when you get a moment. Read More

Honored to Represent My Fellow PPOA Members

My name is Juan Carlos Calderon. I am a Sergeant for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department who is assigned to the Sherman Block Building with the Office of Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) compliance. I have had the distinct opportunity to work with many of you in many different capacities and assignments. I am very excited, humbled and eager to serve all PPOA Bargaining Unit 612 members. It is an honor to represent not just Unit 612 members, but every PPOA member who expects and demands the best from this Association. I come to you all ready to go to work and help make this Association the absolute best it can be for current members and future PPOA members to come. Read More

Greg Aguirre, Welcome Home

Funerals are never easy. And we’ve all been in that place whether we debate going or not. The temperatures were in the mid-90s at 5 p.m. on a sweltering Monday in July as I deliberated whether to go. I imagined a half-empty room with no air conditioning and how it would be to try and breathe in that miserable heat. When I got to the funeral home in San Gabriel, it looked very welcoming and comfortable. The cold air hit me when I entered the front door, and my stress and anxiety dropped quickly. The attendant directed me to the correct room, and I entered the packed but very comfortable chapel, which I knew in a second was the only place on Earth I should be. Read More