Peace Officers Research Association of California
As our great nation approaches its 250th anniversary on July 4, 2026, we pause amid the pageantry and reflection to recall the profound words etched into the founding charter of our nation. “We hold these truths to be self-evident,” the Declaration of Independence says, “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Read More
For those of us in this profession, the California Peace Officers’ Memorial isn’t abstract. It’s not just symbolic. It’s deeply personal. We don’t walk those grounds as observers; we walk them knowing names. Partners. Academy classmates. Friends. People we worked beside, spent time together with off the job and expected to see again. The Memorial is where those stories and memories are made permanent.
As we move from winter to spring, this season of renewal is a reminder of the strength, resilience and purpose that define those who serve their communities every day. In that spirit, I want to wish you a happy Easter. In the rapidly evolving landscape of public safety, few technologies have advanced as dramatically as unmanned aerial systems (UAS), more commonly known as drones. Read More
As his friend and colleague for many years, I want to dedicate my president’s message to Grant Ward and write as someone who knew him not just as the steadfast president of the Sheriff’s Employees’ Benefit Association (SEBA) and a dedicated PORAC Executive Committee member, but as a brother in arms, a source of endless encouragement and one of the most genuinely positive souls I’ve ever encountered. Read More
Happy new year! I hope this holiday season was filled with joy, rest and reflection. I want to start this message with a heartfelt thank-you for reelecting me as your president. Your continued trust in my leadership is something I do not take for granted. Leading PORAC is a profound honor. Read More
I want to start this message with a heartfelt thank-you for a successful 2025. PORAC has always been a bottom-up organization — built by our members, for our members. Your voices, input and leadership guide everything we do, which has positioned us as the preeminent voice of California peace officers. Every policy position we take, every issue we engage in and every success we achieve starts with the experiences and concerns that come from our members in the field. Read More
Last month, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 627, the mask bill, into law. In my decades serving as a peace officer and eight years as PORAC’s president, representing the rights and benefits of more than 87,000 California public safety professionals, I have never seen a bill that so blatantly deceives the public as SB 627. This bill represents a dangerous attack on California’s local peace officers by creating immunity exceptions when unauthorized mask use is involved. Read More
As we enter October, I want to address a pressing issue that affects every one of us: the balance between public accountability and the privacy rights of peace officers. Last month, UC Berkeley and Stanford University unveiled a groundbreaking yet concerning database in collaboration with media outlets CalMatters, the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle and KQED. Read More
Last month, PORAC announced its endorsements for California governor — endorsing both Republican Chad Bianco and Democrat Antonio Villaraigosa. Yes, you read that right; it’s the first time we’ve backed two candidates for the same spot. Read More
Imagine being on the same call as your cover officer and both of you are injured, only to discover that they receive full benefits while you’re left with a reduced benefit — simply because of a different Penal Code (PC) 830 subsection. This glaring inequity, rooted in California’s fragmented peace officer classifications, undermines our profession’s unity and strength. California PC Section 830 has always been an issue for law enforcement. Read More