Kristi Sandoval
July, 2011
Hopefully, you’ve heard (or read) about the League’s new website, PublicSafetyFirst.com. It’s geared toward residents who are concerned about keeping public safety a priority in Los Angeles. The site is up and running, so please check it out at PublicSafetyFirst.com, or turn to pages 34 and 35 for a preview.
The site, which will offer more content and new features in the future, currently hosts important news on law enforcement and relevant city issues, crime alerts published by the L.A. Times, community events and resources information, crime-prevention and safety tips and links to many more public-safety-relevant sites. Additionally, PublicSafetyFirst.com features a “Get Involved” page designed to host calls to action in support of LAPD officers and their ability to serve and protect, and is geared toward concerned residents and the 360,000-plus registered voters we communicate with.
National Police Week
I attended the 2011 Police Week in Washington, D.C., and while I had seen pictures and heard stories of how awesome the experience is, it is really something every police officer should witness at least once. The events are somber and sometimes downright sad, but seeing the masses of law enforcement agencies come together to honor fallen officers from across the nation is nothing less than amazing.
Look for a 2011 Police Week photo album on LAPD.com and find pictures on the League’s Facebook page (www.fb.com/protectiveleague). Thank you to everyone who went this year and to those who were so instrumental in the planning, especially League Directors Ray Espinosa and Scott Rate, Captain Don Schwartzer, Lieutenant Kathy Meek and Sergeant Jim Lewis. If you are interested in attending as part of the LAPD Honor Cadre next year, let your commanding officer know.
Too good to be true? I think so, but read for yourself
Nobody wants to pay lower taxes more than I do, so when I hear people talk about tax deductions, my ears perk up. One deduction I’ve heard about is that if you have a permanent percentage of disability from an IOD injury, you can subtract that percentage from your salary and lower your tax bracket and liability. So in my case, I have a 15 percent disability from a permanent and stationary IOD injury, and under this theory, my tax person could subtract 15 percent from my income at tax time and I would only owe taxes on the balance. But according to tax attorneys Tim Kelly and Kevin W. Rego, who wrote an article for the June issue of PORAC Law Enforcement News, the official publication of the Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC), it’s not so. John Mumma touches on the topic in his article on page 5. For additional background, read the PORAC article on page 22. If you have additional questions or concerns, call and we can arrange a one-hour referral to a tax attorney for you.
As always, feel free to email me at kristisandoval@lappl.org with any questions or concerns.
