BRIAN R. MARVEL
PORAC President

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. As we head into 2026, PORAC will continue fighting to ensure the rank-and-file’s voice is heard, our profession’s interests are represented and our members’ rights are protected.

Additionally, I want to thank everyone who attended the 73rd annual PORAC Conference of Members in San Diego. Conference is one of the most important events of the year for PORAC, and I appreciated the candid conversations, discussing the challenges we face and reflecting on our achievements over the last year. This year’s conference held contested elections for president and vice president. It has been an honor to serve and lead this great organization over the last eight years, and Ben Therriault and I look forward to continuing to push PORAC forward for the next two. I appreciate the mandate delivered by the voters.

Elections are the lifeblood of any member-driven organization. I want to thank Marshall McClain and Roger Garcia for stepping forward and running. Their willingness to do so strengthened the conversation around challenges and issues critical to our profession. Rigorous debate illuminated our members’ priorities, and now we must come together to make those priorities a reality for the more than 87,000 PORAC members we represent.

This year, I’m proud of how we took bold stands on critical legislation, fought back against policies that put politics ahead of public safety and advanced solutions that will make our profession stronger for decades to come.

One of the ways we did this was by professionalizing our organization further. This work included:

Formalizing the American Law Enforcement Alliance (ALEA): After successfully establishing the West Coast Law Enforcement Coalition, we have now formalized the organization’s structure through a new 501(c)(4). The coalition currently represents rank-and-file officers from California, Washington, Oregon, Hawaii and Alaska and positions our organization as a driving force not only in California but nationwide.

Updating our 2025 Policy Platform: Our legislative work continues to be steered by the PORAC Policy Platform, and this year, PORAC reworked our platform to reflect current priorities, key issues and an evolving political landscape. This updated platform (tinyurl.com/PORAC-policy-platform-2025) echoes our confidence in the opportunities presented by a political landscape that now more appropriately values the critical importance of public safety.

Our push for consent decree reform: PORAC took the lead in sparking a national conversation on much-needed consent decree reform this year. Following our meetings with senior Department of Justice (DOJ) officials and congressional leaders, the DOJ rescinded all pending consent decrees (tinyurl.com/DOJ-consent-decrees), returning oversight authority to local governments. To build on this momentum, PORAC launched our own website on consent decrees (PORAC.org/consent-decrees), highlighting the inequities in the system and how we plan to advocate for reform. This is just one example of how our organization is constantly looking around corners, forecasting issues that will impact our members and proactively taking steps to mitigate those issues before they spiral out of control.

And that barely scratches the surface of what we accomplished this year. From Sacramento to D.C., PORAC has continued to be the organization that policymakers turn to when they need real insight, real partnership and real answers. For over 70 years, PORAC has been the voice of public safety in our state — and today, our voice carries further and stronger than ever before. PORAC has always stood for good policy over making headlines.

Beyond our advocacy work, we’ve continued to grow and modernize PORAC. We’ve strengthened our communications tools to ensure our members and the public alike understand what PORAC stands for — professionalism, accountability and protecting those who put the safety of their community above their own. Our research briefs are driving informed debate on a host of key issues, including AI and police staffing. Our On the Job With PORAC podcast continues to grow its audience, breaking down complex issues and giving officers direct access to the information they need to protect their rights and their well-being.

In the eight years since I’ve been elected to serve as your president, PORAC has grown by more than 17,500 members. That number is proof that what we’re building matters. It’s proof that people across California want to be part of something bigger: an organization and a movement that fights every day to improve the future of our profession. That growth isn’t just measured in numbers — it’s a reflection of the trust and participation of our members who continue to shape PORAC’s priorities through dialogue, feedback and involvement at every level.

And we need you to continue doing just that. As seen this year, your voices were critical. In the new year, I encourage all members to explore new ways that you and your local chapters can get involved to help advance PORAC’s mission and connect with nonmember departments to more effectively spread the word about what PORAC offers the law enforcement community.

Looking forward, our mission remains clear: we will continue to lead the conversation on public safety, advance meaningful legislation at every level of government and stand up for the rights and dignity of every peace officer in California and nationally. We will keep growing our membership, strengthening our partnerships and ensuring that PORAC’s influence continues to expand — not only in California, but across the nation.

Because at the end of the day, PORAC isn’t just an organization; it’s a commitment — to our members, to our communities and to the belief that law enforcement is not the problem, but a key part of the solution. With your support, I am confident that we will continue to honor that commitment and deliver more victories for our members and our profession. Attend your local chapter meeting, speak up and help us recruit the departments that still aren’t at the table. That collaboration is what keeps PORAC strong, responsive and ready for whatever comes next.

I want to end this message by saying thank you. First, to my fellow peace officers. 2025 was another challenging year to be an officer in California. We were caught in the middle of the state versus federal fight over immigration enforcement, which made our jobs even more challenging than they already were. Despite it all, our members never stopped showing up for their communities. Your resilience and bravery do not go unnoticed.

I also want to say thank you to the entire PORAC team for all your hard work this year. None of the accomplishments above would have been possible without you. From PORAC’s Board of Directors, Executive Committee, chapter presidents, association leaders, our lobbying teams in Sacramento and D.C., our Communications Team and all members and staff, thank you for all the fantastic work and your dedication to California law enforcement. Lastly, I would be remiss without thanking my department, association and my family. I can’t thank them enough for their unwavering support as I serve this great organization.

Together, we have achieved so much this year, but our work is far from over. With your continued dedication and support, I know we will meet the challenges ahead and embrace new opportunities — one voice, one PORAC.

Wishing you and your loved ones a merry Christmas, a happy Hanukkah, and a healthy, prosperous and peaceful holiday season. Let us step into the new year with renewed purpose, strength and unity.