Star & Shield Magazine

We are all in this together: PPOA, our employers, our families, our country, our world. As I write this, the global COVID-19 pandemic continues to represent never-before-seen complications for the masses. “Stay at Home” has become the norm. Retail, entertainment and “nonessential” services have been shut down. Read More

The spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) across our country and now throughout Los Angeles County has created a historic time of unprecedented uncertainty. As you and your families read this article, the top COVID-19 experts’ scientific prediction that April will be the cruelest month for California and Los Angeles County will be in progress or nearing its end. Read More

The first few months of 2020 have been more productive than the previous few. Meetings with the Department about matters of our concern have taken place and have been well received by both sides, leading to follow-ups that will either hopefully resolve or bring about more in-depth dialogue about how our classification has evolved, where the missteps are and what changes can be made.  Read More

Last June, I had the honor of standing alongside the parents of fallen Security Officer Lars Burkhardt at PPOA’s annual scholarship ceremony. The conference room was packed with PPOA members and college students on hand to receive scholarship awards from PPOA’s Star & Shield Foundation. Read More

If you asked me a month ago if I had corona, I would have simply replied, “No, I am a bourbon guy.” So fast the world changes. We are in a true black swan event for most of us. (A black swan is an extremely rare event with severe consequences. It cannot be predicted beforehand, though many claim it should be predictable after the fact.) Read More