PPOA Week in Review

LASD/Star Post Members Commemorate 100th Anniversary of Patriotic Hall

February 21: PPOA President Steve Johnson joined fellow Star Post 309 members at a reception marking the 100th Anniversary of the Bob Hope Patriotic Hall in downtown Los Angeles. This event celebrated the building's historic role in serving LA County veterans, service members, and their families.

As a former Air Force Captain and current executive officer of Star Post 309, President Johnson is honored to be counted among a long list of PPOA leaders who served our nation in the armed forces and he looks forward to continue strengthening the relationship between PPOA and his fellow military veterans.

Star Post 309 was founded in 1927 by LASD deputies who were veterans of World War I. Today, its members include active and retired — sworn, civilian, reserve — members of the Sheriff's Department.

Meet and Confer re: MPP Unmanned Aerial Systems

February 23: PPOA representatives took part in a Meet and Confer with Department executives to discuss revisions to MPP section 5-09/570.00, Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Procedures. Meeting participants from PPOA included President Steve Johnson, 1st Vice President Rob Weber, and Executive Director Wayne Quint Jr.

Meet and Consult re: Proposed Vehicle Pursuit Documentation Portal

February 23: PPOA President Steve Johnson met with LASD executives to discuss the proposed addition of a Vehicle Pursuit Documentation Portal. The new application features a streamlined reporting process which will automatically generate and forward time-sensitive data to the California Highway Patrol, to ensure compliance with SB 719.

Memorial Service for Union President

February 24: PPOA representatives joined hundreds of family members, friends and colleagues of San Bernardino County Sheriff's Sergeant Grant Ward at his memorial service on Tuesday. Sergeant Ward was a widely-respected labor leader who served as president of the Sheriff's Employees' Benefit Association. Before beginning his career in San Bernardino, he proudly served as a deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (modified Academy Class 10-98). Sergeant Ward passed on February 1, 2026 following a long and courageous battle with cancer.

President Steve Johnson and Executive Director Wayne Quint Jr. attended the service on behalf of PPOA.

First PPOA Delegates Meeting of the Year

February 24: PPOA delegates met with union board members and staff on Tuesday evening in Monterey Park. Topics of discussion included contract negotiations, online union elections, upcoming events, and more.

If you are an active PPOA member and would like to get more involved with matters impacting your career, we encourage you to join more than 120 union delegates throughout the County. Interested members should email full name and employee number to info@ppoa.com.

Coalition of County Unions Meeting

February 25: PPOA Executive Director Wayne Quint Jr. joined fellow Los Angeles County labor leaders on Wednesday for the monthly Coalition of County Unions (CCU) meeting to address the ongoing challenges and issues impacting County employees.

The CCU represents 15 labor organizations with more than 30,000 union members employed by the County of Los Angeles and is their unified voice on health insurance, vacation pay, retirement and more.

Click here for more information about the CCU.

Job Fair for Personnel Impacted by DMH Contract Termination

February 26: PPOA representatives attended a job fair at the Hall of Records for personnel impacted by the Department of Mental Health contract termination. Board Member/Sheriff Security Officer Vardan Kasabyan and Labor Representatives Dave Ladjevic and Mark Sanchez were present to address questions and concerns from members.

Meet and Confer re: Unit Order — Daily Activity Log

February 26: PPOA representatives took part in a Meet and Confer with Department executives regarding the proposal of a unit order at Community College Bureau to establish procedures and outline responsibilities associated with the use, assignment, and audit of the Daily Activity Log (DAL). Meeting participants from PPOA included Board Member/Sheriff Security Officer Vardan Kasabyan and Executive Director Wayne Quint Jr.

Support for Special Olympics Southern California

— Hall of Fame Awards Reception —

February 26: PPOA representatives joined fellow supporters of athletes with the Special Olympics Southern California for a Hall of Fame Awards Reception on Thursday evening.

The Bill Shumard Hall of Fame Awards are the highest honor within the Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run program. They acknowledge personnel who have been instrumental in raising funds to support the Special Olympics Southern California.

President Steve Johnson and Board Members Jay Chapman, Vanessa Chow, and Melissa Rodriguez attended on behalf of PPOA.

California Peace Officers' Memorial Foundation Expansion Project

February 27: President Steve Johnson joined fellow California Peace Officers' Memorial Foundation (CPOMF) directors for a board meeting to discuss enrollment of fallen officers, expansion of the memorial and the upcoming ceremony scheduled for May 4, 2026.

Click here for more information about the California Peace Officers' Memorial Foundation.

Coming This Week:

PPOA Podcast (Episode 6) with Justin Feldman, Senior Partner with Lewis, Marenstein, Wicke, Sherwin & Lee

The latest episode in the PPOA podcast series will be posted online this week. Our guest is Justin Feldman, a senior partner with the firm of Lewis, Marenstein, Wicke, Sherwin & Lee. In this discussion with PPOA President Steve Johnson, Justin explains the importance of being honest with doctors about your health, the significance of uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, and more. Look for the video this week at PPOA.com!

PPOA Members:

Are Your Registered for Online Contract Ratifications and Union Elections?

PPOA staff has been contacting members over the last three months to remind everyone that union contract ratifications and board elections going forward will be conducted online. In order to cast electronic ballots, members need to complete a one-time registration. If you have not already done so, please click here to register.

Hundreds of PPOA members have registered in the last few months, but we still have a long way to go. Make sure you are eligible to vote online by registering today!

Fraternal Order of Police News Update

When a sworn PPOA member retires and wishes to reactivate his/her FOP member benefits, the following step must be taken: To reactivate your membership as a retired peace officer, you will need to pay FOP annual dues of $44. To do so, please send an email to the FOP Lodge 1 Secretary at wmwestermann@sbcglobal.net

Make it a point to check out Washington Watch — a weekly news update provided by the National FOP. We encourage PPOA members to stay up to date on the legislative news and activity impacting public safety personnel nationwide.

Click here to read this week's Washington Watch.