Greetings SDCPOA membership,

I encourage all our members to read the E-Blast dated 3/21/23 to the Department’s recent announcement relating to Correctional Officer positions.  While I will not address this topic in the President’s message forum, look for further updates through your registered email that will specifically only relate to this important issue.  As the SDCPOA is given information, we will send it out via email. 

We just returned from Legislation Day hosted by SCOPO at the State Capital.  Many of our members don’t know this but for your directors to attend these events, they are required to use their own vacation time.  For that reason, I want to thank Officers Limon and Gutierrez for attending with me to this year’s Legislation Day.

Why is Legislation Day important?  The only way we can have a counterbalance to decisions made at the Capital is to inform them what we are going through.  One issue we hit on with both our local and state representatives were the high number of staff assaults that have already occurred from January to today.  The SDCPOA had an opportunity to educate those at the state level the impact their decisions have on Probation Officers across the state. 

One bill we support and pushed was AB 898.  This would require Probation Departments across the State to report annually injuries that occur to Juvenile Hall staff resulting from interactions with youth to the Board of State and Community Corrections.  This is a good bill!  If an agency will not be transparent, then the State will force them to.  Please also take time to look at two other bills that we are in opposition to which are AB 304 and AB 1090.

Officers Gutierrez, Limon, Harris, Kennedy, and Garcia all attended contract negotiations class earlier this year.  This was put on by PORAC.  Although the SDCPOA would like the County to offer us a fair deal, we also need to be ready for negotiations.  This class required these officers to use their own vacation time to attend training and be prepared.

After over two decades in the Department, Tanya Frias will be retiring.  In addition to serving in the Department, she also serviced in Peer Support and was a director of the SDCPOA for numerous years.  From all of us at the SDCPOA, congratulations on a wonderful career and well wishes on the next phase of your journey. 

Finally, after almost 23 years of service in the San Diego County Probation Department, I have decided to call it a career.  This was not an easy decision to make.  I have had several of our support staff, directors, and many of you tell me to slow down, but unfortunately my health is not keeping up with my hard headedness.  It has been an honor to represent you as your president for the past year.  I have learned a lot over these past years from not only in this Department, but also serving on the SDCPOA.  I have made lifelong friends and share great memories.  Please keep fighting and be that counterbalance. Remember the best successes in your life never come from easy!

Sincerely,

Shannon Edison

SDCPOA President