For the first time in its 90-year history, the rank and file of the Los Angeles police union voted in an African American director.
Jerretta Sandoz was selected Monday to a vacant position on the nine-member board, according to a source with the organization. Sandoz joins six men and two women, all of whom are white.
Some 9,900 Los Angeles police officers belong to the Los Angeles Police Protective League, founded in 1922.
"I am very pleased to be the president of the union at this time. I've known Jerretta for a long time and she was elected by a vote of her peers," said Tyler Izen, president of the Police Protective League. "She’ll make a great director."
A 20-year veteran of LAPD, Sandoz's selection came during a special election to fill a vacant board seat. Her term is set to last until December 2014.
"We did it!!!!! I am grateful to God that I have the opportunity to serve this membership. Thank you all for your vote of confidence. Thank you for your support from the very beginning. I will work each day for you to protect you and fight for what is right. I am truly grateful," Sandoz said on her official campaign Facebook page.
In her campaign to become the organization's newest board member, Sandoz described a lengthy and varied career within the Southland's police force.
“I have a variety of experience that include patrol, internal investigations, mediations, detectives, administrative skills, specialized assignments, Senior Lead Officer and patrol supervisor,” she said.
The league's president, Tyler Izen, released this statement about the
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Photo Credit: Jerretta Sandoz