Sheriffs Relief Association is accepting donations in response to the 3 Detectives who were fatally wounded in the BC Explosion:
Joshua Kelley-Eklund
Victor Lemus
William Osborn

Venmo

PayPal

Make checks payable to: Sheriffs Relief Foundation
Memo: BC Explosion
Mail to: Sheriffs Relief Association
11515 Colima Rd, Bldg. B,
Whittier, CA 90604

The 2025 SRA Annual Fall Picnic will be postponed until Fall of 2026

SRA will be accepting Donations here at the Whittier office.
Please make checks payable to :
Sheriffs Relief Foundation
Memo: Fire Relief

You can also donate to the Red Cross:
redcross.org
1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767)
Or by texting the word CAWILDFIRES to 90999 to make a donation.
Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from these disasters.

Donate online to the Red Cross

Donate by mail / text / phone to the Red Cross

Sheriffs’ Relief Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, Tax ID #95-3779314

AN OFFICERS LIFELINE
CALL: (800) 267-5463

I wanted to provide you with information on CopLine a hotline that is beneficial to all police officers and their family members.  The topics of Officer Wellness and Resiliency for first responders is on the forefront of numerous Law Enforcement agencies across the nation and CopLine would like to do our part in spreading the word that Help and Support is only a phone call away.  CopLine is an international law enforcement hotline that is manned by retired law enforcement personnel.  It was established as a lifeline for police officers both active and retired across the country.  We are a non-profit organization providing 24/7/365 coverage of trained peer support volunteers for intervention along with referrals to vetted mental health professionals that specialize in the law enforcement community.

CopLine is a crucial life-saving program that will help numerous officers and their families during times of need.  We currently find ourselves in an international crisis, not only with police suicide but with the added stress and anxiety due to COVID-19 and the recent anti-police protests.  We deal with the many psychological stressors that officers and their families experience daily and we are available to them during their best and worst days.  CopLine provides the environment for officers to reach out for help because they know the line is anonymous, confidential and whom better to talk to than a fellow officer who understands the graphic violence and daily stressors he/she experiences, thus having the ability to comprehend and show empathy.

We are an outreach to those officers in need of support and outreach to retired officers interested in volunteer work willing to help with our program by answering the lines.  Our volunteers are comprised of officers from various ranks and agencies from across the country giving up their time to help fellow partners.  Working on the hotline is extremely satisfying and a great way to give back to those still serving our communities. 

I encourage anyone interested in supporting this great cause to visit our webpage CopLine.org.  Potential volunteers can go to our site and click on Volunteer in the upper right hand corner, then click on the LINK to complete a mandatory questionnaire.  Each volunteer must attend and complete a mandatory 40hr Active Listener training course with topics such as mental illness, trauma/burnout, life threatening illness, coping skills, grief/loss, suicide risk assessment and suicidology.  The training (40 hours) is at no cost to the volunteer which leads us to the topic of donations.  Each donation submitted either online or directly to CopLine is utilized for maintaining the hotline, outreach and training purposes.  At CopLine we distribute PTSD wallet cards, posters and flyers to police departments across the USA and Canada at no cost.  Our handout material is often the first time an officer has realized that our resource exists which is our opportunity to support officers in need.  Our training costs cover the services of trainers which consist of active police psychologists and suicide prevention specialists that conduct our 5-day training course.  Those donors interested in supporting this great cause can rest assure that our funds are directed towards the survival of the hotline.

Our next training class is tentatively scheduled for September 30, 2020 to October 4, 2020 (Wednesday-Sunday).  It is with great appreciation that CopLine has partnered with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.  The above listeners training course is being sponsored by the Sheriff’s Relief Association, specifically for 25 pre-selected retired sworn members from LASD.  A portion of the current CopLine volunteer pool actually consists of retired LASD personnel who have joined our CopLine family and readily give back to those still wearing the badge.      

If anyone has any inquiries please reach out to CopLine Founder/Director, Psychotherapist Ms. Stephanie Samuels at copline@optonline.net or director@copline.org.

If anyone has any questions feel free to contact Jim Alvarez (retired LAPD) at JAlvarez@copline.org.

As of January 1, 2021

If you joined:
a. Under the age of 45: $10,000 member; $5,000 spouse/dependent
b. Over the age of 45: $5,500 member; $3,000/spouse
c.  Retirees who were not members and/or did not continue their membership can join any time but will not receive mortuary benefits

*** The General Manager will handle all reinstatements and rehires on an individual basis

  Sheriffs’ Relief Association

Recruit Uniform & Equipment Voucher Program

The Sheriffs’ Relief Association has initiated a new no interest voucher program to assist new Los Angeles County Sheriff Deputy Sheriff recruits entering the Academy with the costs associated with the uniform and equipment purchases required upon entering the academy.  These costs can easily exceed $1,000.00 and can be a potential financial burden on new trainees pursuing a career with the LASD.  The program works as follows:

A recruit, upon being formally hired by the LASD Personnel Bureau, will be advised of the Uniform & Equipment Voucher program offered by the Sheriffs’ Relief Association.  They will be provided with a Recruit Purchase Sheet which will detail all the equipment required at some time during their training phase and the cost of the item(s) currently sold at either of the two SRA Emporiums located at the following locations: 
 

STARS Center Emporium                           Pitchess Detention Center Emporium
11515 Colima Road, Bldg B                       29300 The Old Road,
Whittier, CA 90604                                       Castaic, CA 91384  
(562) 946-7271                                            (661) 257-5320

 
The recruit can then respond to either of the above store locations and contact store personnel to arrange for the purchase of necessary requested list items. 
(One can purchase whatever they want that is on the list, but the voucher program only covers those items on the list and not other items sold at The Emporiums)
 
Voucher balances are then paid back to SRA at equal no interest payments over a period of one year via county payroll deduction.  In order to qualify for this program, all applicants must join SRA at the time of purchase. 
 
*** This program is limited to a one time visit and purchase at one of the two Emporiums by Deputy Sheriff recruits entering the Academy only ***

REQUEST FOR HISTORICAL PHOTOS

Sheriffs’ Relief Association has partnered with Moon Mullen supporting his website – the ‘Moon Site’ – as the official retirement site for sworn and civilian retirees of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.  Our financial support of this site has enabled Moon and his staff to greatly expand the information and content provided to retirees on his site.  

One major area of planned ongoing expansion is in the video and media library.  They are in the process of collecting historical photos and videos which includes Academy Class photos as well as Roundup photos.  Webmaster Rich Wilabee is currently collecting and organizing material into category folders which will hold literally thousands of photos.  Moon and his staff are working closely with SRA Board member and the current LASD museum curator, Mike Fratantoni, along with retired photographer, Chris Miller, to gather pictures for the library.  You, our members, can provide a significant source of assistance to this project by sending any department historical photos you may have to Moon and Rich Wilabee.  Moon recently put out an email to all his members specifically soliciting Academy Class photos and how to forward the same to him (see below).   Rich would additionally like your help in providing any other photos you would like to include in his growing library of historical photos.  These subject photos can contain, for example, a folder entitled “SEB/ESD” that contain historical photos detailing the history and exploits of this storied unit.  Many other special unit folders can also be created if enough photos are submitted to populate them.  Otherwise, these photos can be included in general department history folders. 

 

SRA has and will continue to provide financial and technical support to Moon and his staff in support of the ‘Moon’ website and the Roundup.  The goal of SRA is to ensure that when Moon is no longer able to support the activities he provides, SRA can step up and manage these functions.  In the meantime, we want to encourage you to also step up and help make this the very best law enforcement retirement site in the world.  LASD has a rich and proud history and thru this website we can ensure that our history is thoroughly documented and remains intact and fully functional for generations to come.

 

EMAIL FROM MOON:

In an effort to assist the Department Museum in preserving our history, we are looking for the following Academy Class photos for our website.  Any photos we receive, we will share with the Sheriff’s Museum.  The Museum has been gracious enough to share many of the pictures that we were missing originally.  If you have the pictures on your computer, you can just email them to me.  If you have the original and are not sure how to scan the picture, you can mail it to me and I promise to return it to you.  Or you can go to your local Costco and they will scan it onto a flash drive which you can then plug into your computer and email to me.  If all else fails, ask your grand kids.

Please send the photos in JPG format and not in PDF.
Academy Classes 53, 54, 55, 58, 59, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 69, 71, 73, 75, 77, 78, 80, 85, 86, 89, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97.
Academy Classes 101, 102, 103, 105, 109, 111, 112, 113, 114, 117, 118, 119, 122, 124, 127, 128, 133, 134, 145, 146, 147, 164, 166, 173, 189, 191, 193, 194, 197, 198, 199
Academy Classes 201, 202, 207, 208, 214, 215, 223, 224, 227, 229, 230, 231, 232, 233, 235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 240, 241, 243, 244, 247, 248, 250
Academy Classes 251, 252, 254, 255, 256, 257, 258, 259, 260, 261, 263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 268, 269, 271, 272, 273, 275, 276, 277, 278 279
Academy Classes Any classes after 280 (we already have 280).

by Ralph Williams

Each time a bereavement notice appears, many of us seem to have the same comments. We say that he or she was a good person and we so much wish we could see him or her one more time. That one more time could well be at the Roundup because it’s a gathering of hundreds of LASD retired people who come from all over the Country once a year to get together for four spring days in Laughlin, Nevada. For some, a gathering with friends for at least one more time. I hate those bereavement notices for a number of reasons but I love those Roundups for one big reason. Everyone in attendance shares a happiness and wealth of memories. These people, with an occupational history , made a real difference to immense numbers of people and often to each other.

The 20th Roundup was held from April 7-10, 2019, in Laughlin, Nevada at the Riverside Resort and Casino. A new attendance record number of 1151
enjoyed this year. What started with a small number of people 20 years ago and has grown into the largest gathering of retired cops anywhere. I believe that really says something about our love for our law enforcement family.

With the approval of Sheriff Alex Villanueva and the financial support of ALADS, the HR 218 Qualification was conducted by LASD range staff
Deputy Randy Tweedy and assisted by the following volunteers: David Donovan, Lee Leatherman, Bob Molina, Ray Bluff, Joey Stoker, Ed Corrette, James Klinger, Andy Lee, Mable Lee, and Mila Bouman. The two day event is coordinated by Walt Bouman and this year a new record of 497 retired shooters qualified.

Thanks goes out for the Roundup’s financial support from the Sheriff’s Relief Association, ALADS, PPOA, and PPOA FCU.

This year it began on Sunday, April 7 at noon, the 2019 Roundup was open for business. For the first time ever, Moon missed a Roundup and it was a painful miss indeed both for him and for us.

Sunday is greeting day. At some point during the afternoon, nearly everyone attending walked into the “Briefing Room” to check in, get their name tags, and make an effort to meet and greet as many of the hundreds of retirees doing the same thing. Folks checked the displays, registered to qualify on the range, headed off to dinner or stayed to chat.

Monday morning began with a flurry of events. While HR 218 qualification was taking place there was a golf tournament, a bowling tournament, and the Red Hats Champagne Brunch. Later, reunion lunches were held for Firestone, Norwalk/Pico, Malibu/Lost Hills, a TST gathering, a Walnut/San Dimas get together. According to Norwalk/Pico coordinator Sally Harwell, there were 82 retirees and significant others sharing war stories and catching up on their lives. In the evening there was an Industry dinner and Detective Division got together for a cocktail party. Bobby and Belinda Taylor want to send a sincere and heartfelt “thank you” to the 90 party attendees. A special “thank you” to Don and Susan Garcia and Danny and Lesli Smith who donated items for the raffle. The AV stations got together at a restaurant in Bullhead City. Carlton Brandon advises that next year the AV stations dinner will be moved to the Riverside as the El Palacio restaurant they were using for the past 12 years can no longer cope with the increasing numbers attending. Aero Bureau/ESD joined together for appetizers and cocktails and the evening saw a Dance/Karaoke night in the Dance Hall. The day/evening capped off with an ice cream social in the Starview Room, aka “The Briefing Room.”

Tuesday began another busy day with continued HR 218 qualification. Another golf tournament, a Lakewood breakfast, an arts and crafts fair all day long, a West Hollywood luncheon, the Red Hats Luau, a poker tournament, ELA cocktail party, and SEB got together on the south side of the Riverside parking garage. The SBI cocktail party was held in
the Losers Lounge where 73 partiers were fortunate enough to be entertained by our own retiree and comedian Cliff Yates. Cigar night was
held at the pool, the Temple dinner, and there was another gathering of SCV, ALD, and CVS. Mexican dinner was served in the Briefing Room, and there was a 7PM show in the Celebrity Theater and finally some time to rest for the night.

Wednesday morning began with the Lennox Old Timers breakfast and Tony Hollins thanks the 52 who attended. The oldest attendee was 90 year old Doug Robertson who along with his wife, Jeanne, recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. Tony also wanted Ken Jones to know that “Georgia Ice Cream” is still part of the breakfast menu. The annual Queen Emeritus Pat Mihovil card game and and afternoon Slots Tournament were also conducted on Wednesday. The evening culminated with the annual 50/50 raffel drawings complete with hors d’oeuvres and desserts from 4PM until the room closed for the night. This of course is the time for those final
“good byes” until next year.

The four day event can be a relaxing or as busy as you want but it is always fun to all. What follows are some comments offered by some who
attended this year:

-“What I love most about the Roundup, looking through mature eyes, is there are no metal badges worn, no active LE personnel. There are only soft paper badges (that you better turn in before you leave) with no rank before a last name. You might say it’s a level playing field where all are treated the same. Folks are treated to the respect and dignity that we all desire regardless of what happened or the experiences one had. It makes me wonder why we don’t have more attendees than we do.”

-“I was rather apprehensive about attending the Roundup for the first time. I was told such things as people remain in their own little clicks and I
would run out of things to do very quickly. Not true at all. My friends and I had a blast and plan on attending next year. One friend asked me what
was the one thing that made the Roundup so special? I answered, it wasn’t just one thing; it was everything. It was all special.”

-“As always, great time and I saw a lot of friends from prior assignments. The check-in was as smooth as can be. HR 218; I love it. All the luncheons were great; great food and time with the guys and gals I worked with. From the employees to the volunteer staffs, “thank you.”

-“I want to thank Patty and Chuck Norris for getting me to go. I have always felt “less than” due to the fact that I only had 6 years on the Department due to injury. The job was the highlight of my life and I cried when had to sign retirement papers. My life was changed forever. I met a lot of people and had a great time.”

Now I must mention something at the risk of upsetting some. I recognize that there are any number of reasons for attending or not attending the Roundup. We don’t all love the same things. But anyone who says they won’t attend because there might be someone there that a person dislikes, is in my opinion, a foolish reason. Because of our occupation we all had some high self confidence, strong opinions, and good sized egos. Personality conflicts and head butting just comes with those traits. None of us likes everybody and none of us dislikes everybody. If you let the very few keep you from enjoying the very many, you let your perceived enemy win. So get over it; forget about if and come enjoy the people you want to see “one more time.” If you don’t have fun you can personally get in my face and tell me so.

I’m often asked how we can thank Moon and Robyn for their efforts. I’m going to suggest that there are two great ways that come to mind. One is to come and enjoy yourselves without complaint because it’s all volunteers that make the Roundup what it is and the greatest reward is seeing smiles and hearing the laughter. Second is to mark the Roundup dates on your calendar so that when the registration announcement comes out in the fall, you can immediately get your form and money in. You can say thank you by giving the party planners plenty of advance notice of the numbers they are dealing with.

That said, next year’s Roundup dates for the Riverside Hotel and Casino in Laughlin are April 5- 8, 2020. Make a note and a plan to come have a most rewarding experience.