PPOA Week in Review - Sept. 28, 2024

Paying Final Respects to Officer Austin Machitar

September 21: Law enforcement personnel from all over the state joined the family of San Diego Police Officer Austin Machitar last Saturday to pay final respects to the 5-year veteran who died in the line of duty on August 26th. President Steve Johnson and Executive Director Wayne Quint Jr. attended the funeral in El Cajon on behalf of PPOA.

Officer Machitar and his partner were responding to a pursuit when the suspect vehicle struck the patrol unit. Officer Machitar died at the scene and Officer Zachary Martinez sustained critical injuries. The 16-year old suspect died at the hospital.

Officer Machitar was 30 years old and is survived by his parents and sister.

Peace Officer Memorial Golf Tournament Committee Meeting

September 24: Members of the Peace Officer Memorial Golf Tournament committee, including PPOA board, staff and retired members, took part in a video conference to discuss logistics for the 17th Annual Peace Officer Memorial Golf Tournament. This event will take place on June 2, 2025 at Friendly Hills Country Club in Whittier and will raise critical funds for the families of fallen officers.

Message Sent to Members re: Medical/Dental Premium Rate Increases

September 24: PPOA sent an email to active members on Tuesday reminding them the current premium rates for all County and union-sponsored medical and dental insurance plans will end on December 31, 2024. New rates negotiated between County representatives and insurance carriers will take effect January 1, 2025. It is important for active PPOA members to take these increases into consideration as open enrollment will take place October 1, 2024 through October 31, 2024.

For more details, click here to read the email sent to members on 9/24/24.

Unit 612 Salary Contract Negotiations Begin

September 25: PPOA hosted the first Unit 612 negotiation session with the County of Los Angeles, the Sheriff's Department, and the District Attorney’s Office. PPOA’s negotiation team, consisting of Unit 612 members, participated in five pre-negotiations meetings to prepare for what will likely be months of negotiations. We will keep PPOA members updated as we continue our determined commitment to negotiate a contract our members deserve.

California Peace Officers' Memorial Foundation Board of Directors Meeting

September 26: PPOA President Steve Johnson joined fellow representatives of the California Peace Officers' Memorial Foundation (CPOMF) for a board meeting hosted by the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs. CPOMF is a nonprofit charitable foundation whose mission is to recognize and honor California’s peace officers who gave their lives in the line of duty, and provide support to the family members left behind.

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

American Legion Star Post 309 Meeting

September 26: President Steve Johnson, who serves as an executive officer of the American Legion Star Post 309, joined fellow members for a meeting to discuss details for the Law Enforcement Military Ball scheduled for November 1, 2024 at Quiet Cannon in Montebello.

As a Star Post 309 member, 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 LA County Deputies who were veterans of World War I. Today, its members include active and retired — sworn, civilian, reserve — members of the Sheriff's Department.

Fraternal Order of Police News Update

PPOA members have long benefitted from our affiliation with the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the world's largest organization of law enforcement officers, with more than 374,000 members in more than 2,100 lodges nationwide. All active PPOA members are part of California FOP Lodge 1.

Important update re: FOP membership for retired PPOA members

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 $40 for 2024. To do so, please send an email to the FOP Lodge 1 Secretary at wmwestermann@sbcglobal.net

Please 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.