by David Leonhardi
Last month we said goodbye to DSA Director Keith Crowl who retired after nearly 30 years of service to the county and four years as a director at the DSA. I know Keith looks forward to spending time with his family and working on projects at his ranch. I wish Keith the best of luck in all his future endeavors.
With Keith’s departure, we welcomed our newest board member, Danielle Benjamin. Danielle has been an active member of the DSA political action committee for several years and has a very good understanding of the issues facing our members. I know Danielle is going to be a great addition to our team!
September brings with it the very popular uniform allowance. I know each deputy is only planning to spend that additional money on uniforms, so I want to remind you that the DSA store is still operational during Covid-19. Our store is open 0900-1600 Monday through Friday. A portion of the proceeds from all sales in the store help support the Deputy Sheriffs’ Foundation, which ultimately goes back to our deputies. And just a reminder: at the DSA store, we are still offering to change any embroidered name tag from mobile field force uniforms into an arjis number for free.
Lastly, I have to mention politics as we approach November. The DSA has made several endorsements of candidates and issues. We will communicate those positions to our members and the public regularly (check out page 9 for a current list). Your support and engagement on this front are much needed and always appreciated. We will need your help to succeed in November. For some, being branded “Law Enforcement’s Choice” isn’t what they want the public to see. But all the candidates who have asked for our support and gotten it are proud to have it. They take pride in representing the hard-working men and women who keep San Diego County safe, even when it may not be popular.
As always, we remain a resource and an advocate for all our deputies. Please contact me anytime with questions or concerns. Thank you!