by David Leonhardi
By the time this issue gets into your hands, you might be sick of hearing about election outcomes, even if things went your way. So, I’ll steer clear of that topic for now. But before we move on, I need to acknowledge the DSA’s Political Action Committee for the hard work they put in evaluating the candidates and issues that requested or warranted the DSA’s support this election season. If you’ve ever thought about becoming more involved, helping the DSA’s PAC is a great way to stay informed on the issues and, in some cases, even help shape policy affecting law enforcement. Big thanks to PAC members Danielle Benjamin, Aaron Montan, Damon Blankenbaker, Brian Bentley, Mark Bryan, and Robert Shawcroft for their dedication.
Some of you may remember the strategic plan the DSA put together about a year ago now in hopes of creating a more transparent and fruitful association. As 2020 winds down, we are happy to report we have worked diligently on the DSA’s public relations and social media presence, especially as turmoil has begun to plague our profession. Our amplified outreach has aimed to showcase the overwhelmingly positive things our deputies and association do for our communities. On the member communications front, we have completed an entire year of our monthly member emails now and our members are more engaged and informed than ever before. The DSA continues to move forward with wellness initiatives, working to create financial wellness, mental & emotional health, and other related seminars, events, and resources. We look forward to making strides toward other association goals, like increasing our presence at stations and facilities, rebuilding our station representative program to ensure representation across the department, and bringing back our membership events and seminars that had to be postponed in 2020. We are optimistic that 2021 holds great things for our association and membership.
As the holiday season approaches, be sure to check the DSA website for store closures around Thanksgiving and Christmas. On that note, the DSA is pleased to again offer Christmas dinner to the deputies working Christmas this year. Count on a hot meal arriving at your work location that day. Your sacrifice is not taken lightly. We appreciate you!
Speaking of Christmas, the annual DSA Children’s Christmas Party might look a bit different this year. Our staff is working hard to confirm all the event details, but please save the date of Saturday, December 12 for now, and we will communicate more information in the coming weeks as Covid-19 regulations become clearer.
Stay safe and have a happy Thanksgiving.⭑