LEGISLATOR OF THE YEAR

Traditionally, SCOPO has awarded "Legislator of the Year" to one State Senator and one State Assembly Member.

Rich Berkery
SCOPO Legislative Vice President

On March 14, 2013, Senator Joel Anderson (R-36) and Assembly Member Bob Wieckowski (D-25) were presented as SCOPO's "Legislator of the Year" award recipients.

“Senator Anderson has worked tirelessly to improve public safety in California and we are looking forward to working with him to continue that effort,” said SCOPO President Paul Brennan at a ceremony at the State Capital.

“It is quite an honor to be recognized by SCOPO. Probation Peace Officers put their lives on the line every day to ensure people stay on the right path to become contributing members of society. Without their dedicated service, many individuals would become discouraged and return to a life of crime,” said Anderson.

This recognition is not just about me," Wieckowski told the officers. "It's about our common goal to increase the personal safety of officers across the state."

Wieckowski was recognized for his "dedication in advancing the standards for the betterment of Probation Peace Officers and the improvement of Public Safety."

Last year, Wieckowski authored AB 1968, a bill to allow for the arming of probation officers responsible for "high risk" offenders.

In order to help the state meet the prison inmate reduction set in place by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Legislature passed AB 109 in 2011, the Public Safety re-alignment bill.

This put rank and file Probation Peace Officers on the receiving end of a significant Public Safety policy shift. This enhanced Public Safety role has resulted in increased caseloads for Probation Officers, and many offenders previously under the supervision of state Parole Agents are now realigned under their responsibility.

Even though AB 1968 was eventually vetoed by the Governor, despite strong bipartisan support, Wieckowski and Probation Peace Officers made important progress in raising awareness of the issue among Members.

Wieckowski is hoping to get a new bill, AB 1040, approved in this session of the Legislature.