Star & Shield Magazine

Honoring a Long Career of Dedicated Service

I want to congratulate those of you who have recently retired. For those who have been enjoying retirement, I wish you continued success and, most importantly, a continuously healthy lifestyle. I want to highlight an individual who has been a consummate professional to all PPOA members, whether you have worked with her directly or indirectly. Undoubtedly, you will all agree that professional staff members are the most valued employees who work behind the scenes and make our Department run efficiently. Read More

Proud to Support Retired PPOA Members — This Generation and the Next

I try to examine what is important to retired members as I continue my path as your representative on the PPOA Board of Directors. The common topics are pension preservation, medical benefits and connections. I have been dedicated over the past decade to all of the above, and I am honored to represent you. That took a bit of a different path recently, as I was fortunate enough to speak at Supervisors School with a class of newly promoted sergeants. Read More

Fighting the Good Fight for Thousands of Retired PPOA Members

Since its inception in 1951, PPOA has been fighting for its membership — both retired and active. In fact, one of the first documented fights for PPOA’s founders was the quest to improve the retirement system. Some of these fights are newsworthy, some get ugly, some are controversial, some are less than victorious and many of them improve the quality of life for more than just our membership. But they are all fights worth fighting. Read More

Two Inspiring Stories of Retirements Well Spent

Lynn McTaggart (formerly Garcia) retired as a sergeant in 1994 after a dedicated career that included assignments at SBI, Special Investigations, Santa Clarita Station and Pitchess Detention Center, South Facility. She also opened the Male/Female Jail Facility in Lancaster and competed as a runner in Baker to Vegas every year from the event’s inception well into her retirement. Yet somehow, the amount of blood, sweat and tears she poured into those years on the job pales in comparison to her passion as a retiree: CrossFit. Read More