by David Leonhardi
This is the last edition of the Silver Star before November’s general election. As we approach the important date of November 3, there is no denying the impending magnitude of the election results. On a national scale, a presidential election is always polarizing, but Donald Trump on the ballot brings things to the next level. The presidential election was always going to be headline news, but the recent death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg means a new Supreme Court nomination may be one of the prizes for the winner of the election as well.
Locally, our County Board of Supervisors is always a top priority for the DSA. Three of the five spots on the board are being contested and the DSA has endorsed a candidate in each one. Each of our endorsed candidates has been interviewed and vetted. They are all proud to call themselves “Law Enforcement’s Choice.” Below you will see a list of our endorsements. All of these individuals and issues have been selected for endorsement by the DSA because we believe they are the best option to improve public safety and support our members. Please pay attention and mark your ballot to help support public safety.
Over the last several months, you may have noticed the DSA being more intentional about organizing and improving our political influence. We’ve worked hard to build a grassroots network of supporters and mobilize them to influence outcomes. I’ve been extremely impressed by the outpouring of support and I hope you will be also. Last month, law enforcement officers throughout the state faced a serious legislative threat in Senate Bill 731 which would have ended qualified immunity for cops and created an extremely biased decertification process. The DSA created an online petition opposing SB 731 and started reaching out to our friends. In just a couple days, our petition grew organically (people sharing and forwarding to their friends), and we received over 11 thousand signatures. The DSA played a significant role in ensuring SB 731 didn’t get through the legislature and become law.
We also mobilized our network in recent weeks to influence our county board of supervisors. Proposition 20, a statewide ballot measure that reclassifies several crimes from non-violent to violent, is a major step in the right direction to start holding criminals accountable in California again. We asked our County to take an official position in support of Proposition 20, but we knew we would face loud opposition from social justice groups. We asked our network to sign another petition and leave an electronic comment on the item for the supervisors to consider. Again, in just a couple days, we received over 1,300 petition signatures and more than 500 comments in support of Prop 20. There is no denying that a large group like this speaking up has an influence on our politicians. The county agreed, and our supervisors voted to officially support Proposition 20.
As you all have seen over the last couple years, we have many political challenges as law enforcement officers in California. The DSA is working hard to grow our influence and put pressure on elected officials to make good decisions for public safety. Mobilizing our support and helping the silent majority of citizens, who just want to live in a safe community, is imperative to our success.
I hope these small victories are only the start of many future successes we can share together. These issues, and possibly many more in the future, may not be on our side without the support of our members, their families, and their friends. I want to thank everyone who read and forwarded the emails, and to each person who hit the like or share button on social media. While it may seem like a nominal gesture, it is so impactful, and it is very much appreciated. We will definitely be in contact on the next issue!⭑