Damon Kurtz
PORAC Vice President

This month, I want to take a moment to mention the law enforcement memorials. For law enforcement, May can be a somber month, as many of us will attend ceremonies for our officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Whether it’s at a local memorial, a state memorial or the National Memorial in Washington, D.C., officers around the nation and their families will gather to reflect and pay homage to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. I have attended many memorial ceremonies over the years, and the reverence I have for them remains as real as for the first one I attended years ago. The biggest difference now is having known some whose names have been placed on the wall. It’s one of the sad truths of the law enforcement profession that if you do the job long enough, eventually you will have known someone who has lost their life in the line of duty. I hope everyone takes the time to attend at least one memorial this year and honor those who didn’t come home.

On the legislative front here in California, we continue to monitor and engage on several bills as they are starting to move through committees in the State Assembly and Senate. Although there are several bills we are engaged in, this year does not have the same volume of bills aimed specifically at law enforcement reform. Things will typically heat up after the July break, when we will see what the bills will ultimately look like before they move to the floor for a vote. On the federal level, we travel to Washington, D.C., at least twice a year as we continue to work on issues like GPO/WEP and funding for law enforcement. PORAC’s Executive Board will be going back to D.C. at the end of April, along with our West Coast Coalition partners, to continue our push for positive legislation.

This year, PORAC has been asked to engage in discussions regarding cannabis legislation at the federal level. The conflict between federal laws and state laws regarding cannabis has become an issue in several states, like California, that have legalized cannabis for recreational use. PORAC has no interest in engaging on the moral issue surrounding the use of cannabis, but we can’t ignore the issues surrounding the lack of regulation and resources when it comes to enforcement of the illicit markets. Our goal is to bring a commonsense approach to some of these issues and to make sure law enforcement has a voice in this process. As we all know, we have to deal with the real issues when it comes to the application and enforcement of the laws
they create.

We are a month out from our annual Symposium and the third annual POREF Open. This year’s Symposium will be held at the JW Marriott in the Summerlin area of Las Vegas on June 5 and 6. We have put together a good schedule of educational speakers and opportunities for you to network with your peers. On Friday, June 7, the third annual POREF Open will be held at Angel Park Golf Club, which is located directly across the street from the JW Marriott. This year’s tournament will have more games and more swag, so I hope you are able to come out and support the event. As always, stay safe and healthy out there.