Simi Valley Police Officers Association badge

Simi Valley Police Officers Association PAC

We Protect Simi Valley.
These Leaders Have Our Back.

We are the officers and sergeants of the Simi Valley Police Department. These are the candidates we trust with the staffing, the schools, and the budgets that keep this city safe.

—Days until
Election Day · Nov 3
Meet the candidates How to vote

Endorsed for November 3, 2026

Dee Dee Cavanaugh
Dee Dee CavanaughMayor
Joseph Ayala
Joseph AyalaDistrict 1
Richard Perini
Richard PeriniDistrict 2
Deb Dickerson
Deb DickersonDistrict 4

Who we are

We Are Your Simi Valley Police Officers.

Every day our officers risk it all to deliver excellent service and public safety. We are proud to be good stewards of public resources and to spend our time off giving back to the community we honorably protect.

Our endorsements represent diligent research, detailed questionnaires, and personal candidate interviews. We are non-partisan and only endorse candidates based on their commitment and record to making your family's safety their top priority.

Visit the SVPOA

Key SVPOA Public Safety Priorities

School Resource Officers

Investing in trained officers on campus every school day, not patrol cars pulled off the street.

Full Schedule Staffing

Ensuring that we have the right number of officers on every shift, every day.

Recruiting and Retention

Prioritizing high quality recruitment of new officers and retention programs to keep our best.

Maintaining Our Subject Matter Experts

Keeping local control by funding critical specialty units that keep Simi Valley safe.

November 3, 2026

Simi Valley Police Officers Proudly Endorse

Beyond City Hall

You trust us to protect your family.
We trust them to back us up.

A safe city is not luck. It is officers on the street, officers on campus, and elected leaders who fund both before something goes wrong.

Why it matters

Two Officers.
Twenty-Eight Campuses.

The Simi Valley Unified School District spreads more than 17,000 students and staff across 28 campuses. The city authorizes two School Resource Officer positions to cover all of it.1

For part of the 2025 to 2026 school year, the real number on campus was zero. One position had been vacant since December 2025, and the assigned officer went on leave in February. Every call from a school went to a patrol officer pulled off a beat.2

Those officers do good work. But they are not on campus, they do not know the students, and they do not have the training a School Resource Officer has in juvenile law, threat assessment, and getting ahead of a problem before it becomes a police report.

We have not asked for a specific number of officers or a specific way to pay for them. That is for the city, the district, and the people you elect. We are saying the current level does not work, and the people asking for your vote should say what they will do about it.

SVPOA statement
28school campuses in the Simi Valley Unified School District
2School Resource Officer positions the city authorizes for all of them
0officers on campus for part of the 2025 to 2026 school year
17,000+students and staff those two positions are meant to cover

Students per school officer

How Simi Valley compares with other Ventura County agencies, from the SVPOA's May 2026 memo to the City Council. Lower is better.1

Camarillo1,380
Fillmore1,850
Santa Paula2,400
Thousand Oaks4,000
Oxnard4,571
Ventura5,000
Moorpark5,700
Simi Valley8,500

Simi Valley is calculated on its two authorized positions. For part of the school year, neither was filled.

Election center

Make Your Voice Heard

Simi Valley and Oxnard are in Ventura County. Every active registered voter gets a ballot in the mail. You can return it by mail, in a drop box, or at any vote center in the county.

—Days
—Hours
—Minutes
—Seconds

Key dates

  • October 5

    Ventura County mails a ballot to every active registered voter. Drop boxes open.

  • October 19

    Last day to register for this election.

  • October 24

    Vote centers open across the county, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

  • October 27

    Mail your ballot by about this date so the postmark lands in time.

  • November 3

    Election Day. Vote centers are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Drop boxes close at 8 p.m.

  • November 10

    Last day the county can receive a ballot postmarked by Election Day.

Get it done

Register or check your registrationTakes about two minutes at registertovote.ca.gov.Track your ballotGet a text or email when the county mails and counts your ballot.Find a vote centerAny Ventura County vote center works, wherever you live in the county.Read the official voter guideVentura County Elections Division, the people who run your election.

Drop boxes in Simi Valley

Simi Valley Public Library2969 Tapo Canyon Rd. (two boxes)
Simi Valley Family YMCA3200 Cochran St.
Rancho Simi Community Pool1765 Royal Ave.
Strathearn Historical Park137 Strathearn Pl.
Fire Station 435874 E. Los Angeles Ave.
Fire Station 441050 Country Club Dr.

Drop boxes in Oxnard

Oxnard Public Library251 S. A St.
South Oxnard Branch Library4300 Saviers Rd.
Albert H. Soliz Library2820 Jourdan St.
Channel Islands Boating Center3880 Bluefin Cir.
Oxnard College4000 S. Rose Ave.
River Ridge Golf Club2401 W. Vineyard Ave.

Boxes are open 24 hours a day from October 5 until 8 p.m. on Election Day. No stamp needed. Dates and locations from the Ventura County Elections Division, checked September 2026.

Your ballot

Which District Do You Live In?

Simi Valley elects its council by district, and only Districts 1, 2, and 4 vote for a council seat this year. Type your address and we will check the official city and county maps.

We do not store the address you type. Boundaries come from the City of Simi Valley, the City of Oxnard, and Ventura County GIS.

Simi Valley council Oxnard council Park district

Sources

Check Our Work

Every claim on this site comes from a public record: the candidates' own campaigns, the Ventura County elections office, the City of Simi Valley, and local news. The numbers beside each claim link here.

  1. School Resource Officerssimivalleypoa.net/sro-position-statement
  2. School Resource Officerssimivalleyacorn.com/articles/leaders-explore-long-term-funding-for-school-s…
  3. Dee Dee Cavanaughsimivalley.org/Home/Components/News/News/6905/966
  4. Dee Dee Cavanaughsimivalleyacorn.com/articles/simi-adopts-283-million-budget-boosts-infrastr…
  5. Dee Dee Cavanaughsimivalleyacorn.com/articles/city-considers-more-green-for-those-in-blue
  6. Dee Dee Cavanaughsimivalleyacorn.com/articles/new-police-labor-agreements-okd
  7. Dee Dee Cavanaughsimivalley.org/government/city-council/mayor-dee-dee-cavanaugh
  8. Dee Dee Cavanaughvalley.labusinessjournal.com/finance-insurance-2026/valley-200-2026-dee-dee…
  9. Dee Dee Cavanaughsimivalleyacorn.com/articles/council-appoints-one-of-their-own-as-mayor
  10. Dee Dee Cavanaughdeedee4mayor.com
  11. Dee Dee Cavanaughfacebook.com/deedeecavanaughforsimivalley
  12. Dee Dee Cavanaughsimivalleyacorn.com/articles/new-deterrent
  13. Dee Dee Cavanaughsimivalley.org/Home/Components/News/News/6899
  14. Joseph Ayalasimivalleypoa.net/2026
  15. Joseph Ayalasimivalleyacorn.com/articles/political-newcomer-appointed-to-council
  16. Joseph Ayalasimivalleyacorn.com/articles/simi-to-consider-hotel-fee-increase
  17. Joseph Ayalasimivalleyacorn.com/articles/simi-ballot-measure-targets-lodging-tax
  18. Joseph Ayalaclerkrecorder.venturacounty.gov/2026-measures
  19. Joseph Ayalasimivalleyacorn.com/articles/council-prioritizes-public-safety-infrastructu…
  20. Richard Periniclerkrecorder.venturacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/cfmcfmr001_contc…
  21. Richard Perinicslb.ca.gov/OnlineServices/CheckLicenseII/LicenseDetail.aspx?LicNum=1026127
  22. Richard Periniperini4simi.com
  23. Richard Perinibbb.org/us/ca/simi-valley/profile/burglar-alarm-systems/absolute-security-t…
  24. Richard Perinisimivalley.org/government/city-council/city-council-campaign-disclosures/ac…
  25. Richard Perinisimivalleyacorn.com/articles/solar-standstill
  26. Richard Perinisimivalley.org/our-city/community-programs-and-facilities/neighborhood-coun…
  27. Richard Perinisimivalleyacorn.com/articles/pedaling-joy
  28. Deb Dickersondeb4simi.com
  29. Brian Dennertcms4files.revize.com/ranchosimirec/board%20of%20directors/AgendasAndPackets…
  30. Brian Dennertsimivalleyacorn.com/articles/options-considered-to-boost-safety-at-public-p…
  31. Brian Dennertcms4files.revize.com/ranchosimirec/board%20of%20directors/AgendasAndPackets…
  32. Brian Dennertsimivalleyacorn.com/articles/park-board-oks-140k-for-security-cameras
  33. Brian Dennertsimivalleyacorn.com/articles/rsrpd-sets-ambitious-budget-plans
  34. Brian Dennertsimivalleyacorn.com/articles/rsrpd-to-fill-seat-by-appointment
  35. Brian Dennerttheacorn.com/articles/rancho-simi-board-advances-budget-amid-oak-park-fundi…
  36. Brian Dennertrsrpd.org/board_of_directors/our_board.php
  37. Brian Dennertsimivalleyacorn.com/articles/city-council-school-and-parks-reorganize-for-t…
  38. Brian Dennertsimivalleyacorn.com/articles/park-district-names-new-chair-vice-chair
  39. Brian Dennertsimivalleyacorn.com/articles/rancho-simi-rec-and-park-district-welcomes-new…
  40. Brian Dennertsimivalleyacorn.com/articles/director-of-the-year-honors-go-to-rsrpds-brian…
  41. Brian Dennertbriandennert.com/endorsements
  42. John Barrickweb.archive.org/web/20230522214716id_/https://barrick4da.com/about
  43. John Barrickvcdistrictattorney.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Simi-Valley-Man-Sentenced…
  44. John Barrickbarrickforoxnard.com/vote
  45. John Barrickvidanewspaper.com/2026/08/13/man-sentenced-for-murdering-girlfriend
  46. John Barrickvidanewspaper.com/2025/09/13/couple-convicted-of-murder
  47. John Barrickkclu.org/2025-05-20/life-without-parole-for-former-ojai-garage-owner-who-or…
  48. John Barrickbarrickforoxnard.com
  49. John Barrickbarrickforoxnard.com/about

Mayor of Simi Valley

Dee Dee Cavanaugh

Appointed mayor in January 2025 after the death of Mayor Fred Thomas. On the council since 2016. Elected citywide to a two-year term.

When public safety needed a vote on the Simi Valley City Council, Dee Dee Cavanaugh was there. Ten years, and every time the budget came around she funded the training, the equipment, and the officers who answer your call. Now she is asking to keep doing it as mayor.

She funds the department, not just the applause line

Talk is cheap in an election year. Budgets are not. The 2025-26 city budget sent more than 40 percent of Simi Valley's $97 million general fund to the Police Department, plus more than $700,000 for officer safety and crime prevention technology. In June 2026 she joined a unanimous council to adopt the 2026-27 budget, adding $725,000 for police training, behavioral health services, software, and vehicle replacement, and nearly $900,000 more for police and emergency response equipment. That is what backing your officers actually looks like.3,4

She invested in keeping experienced officers here

Simi Valley cannot protect you with a department that trains good officers and then loses them. In October and November 2025, Cavanaugh voted with a unanimous council to approve two-year labor agreements with the Simi Valley Police Officers Association and the Police Managers Association, aimed squarely at the staffing gaps that had left dispatch seats empty and pulled officers off the street. Retention is not a perk. It is response time.5,6

She has run the numbers her whole career

Cavanaugh has worked in banking since 1984 and serves as a senior vice president and regional administrator at Banc of California, overseeing branches across Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties, the Central Valley, and northern Los Angeles. She guided the bank through its 2023 merger with PacWest Bancorp. She also gave 20 years to the Simi Valley Police Foundation board, including a term as its president. A city that intends to fund public safety year after year needs someone at the head of the table who can read a balance sheet.7,8,9,10,11

The Simi Valley Police Officers' Association is proud to support your campaign and stand with a candidate who understands our mission and shares our vision for a safer Simi Valley.SVPOA endorsement letter, signed by President Corey Baker

On the record

  • June 8, 2026: Voted with a unanimous council to adopt the 2026-27 city budget. It adds $725,000 for police training, behavioral health services, software, and vehicle replacements. It also adds nearly $900,000 for police and emergency-response technology and equipment.4
  • June 2025: Backed the 2025-26 city budget. It sent more than 40% of the $97 million General Fund to the Police Department. It also put more than $700,000 into officer-safety and crime-prevention technology.3
  • October and November 2025: Voted with a unanimous council to approve 2-year labor agreements with the SVPOA and the Police Managers Association.5
  • May 2023: Voted with a unanimous council to approve a 4-year contract with Flock Group Inc. for 23 automated license plate readers. The contract is funded with about $250,000 in forfeited assets. She called the program "wonderful" and said the police department would use it well.12
  • May 28, 2025: Delivered the State of the City address on safety, infrastructure, economic development, and community partnerships. The city highlighted its continued standing as one of the nation's safest cities. It also highlighted an expanded police drone program and a new traffic-enforcement motor unit.13
Campaign website

City Council, District 1

Joseph Ayala

Appointed to the council in February 2025. This election fills the rest of the term, which runs to 2028.

Joseph Ayala did not wait for permission to work on school safety. When Simi Valley's School Resource Officer coverage fell to zero, he built the working group to fix it and got the city, the school district, and the police department into the same room. He has also spent about a decade volunteering alongside your officers.

He forced the school safety conversation

Simi Valley Unified went through most of the 2025-26 school year with no School Resource Officer on campus. On May 11, 2026, Ayala proposed a joint city, school district, and police working group on SRO staffing, and the council put him on it. He argued for measuring the need first, then building a plan with funding that lasts. Our endorsement letter credits him for exactly that: a renewed and refocused effort to increase dedicated SRO staffing, training, funding, and assignment.2,14

He funds the department and hunts for money that lasts

In June 2026 Ayala voted with a unanimous council to adopt the city's $283 million budget, which added $725,000 for police training, behavioral health services, software, and vehicle replacement, plus roughly $900,000 for police and emergency response equipment. He has also pushed the city toward revenue that does not vanish after one year, tying a proposed increase in the hotel and short-term rental tax to competitive salaries for officers and other city workers. That measure is on your ballot as Measure A. The SVPOA PAC has taken no position on it.15,16,17,18

He shows up when the cameras are off

Ayala has volunteered with the Simi Valley Police Department since 2016. In December 2025 he walked the Arroyo Simi encampment with officers before the cleanup and reported back to the council. Before the April 2026 council presentation on license plate readers, he sat with worried residents for hours and worked with the department on the answers. That is a council member who learns the job before he votes on it.4,14

Our members appreciate your history on our council and your recent work to improve public safety in our local schools with a renewed and refocused effort to increase dedicated School Resource Officer staffing, training, funding, and assignment.SVPOA endorsement letter, signed by President Corey Baker

On the record

  • Suggested the joint city, school district, and police working group on SRO staffing and school safety. The council appointed him to it on May 11, 2026.2
  • Voted with the unanimous council on June 8, 2026, to adopt the $283 million budget for 2026-27. It included a $725,000 increase for police training, behavioral health services, software, and vehicle replacement.4
  • Brought a May 7, 2025 discussion item asking the council to study a transient occupancy tax increase. He tied the idea to competitive salaries for police officers and other city workers.16
  • Voted with the unanimous council on June 8, 2026, to place Measure A on the November 3, 2026 ballot. It would raise the hotel and short-term rental tax from 10% to 12%.17
  • Questioned in June 2025 whether the city's surplus allocation formula still fit current needs. He asked whether adjustments could better support city worker compensation.19
Campaign website

City Council, District 2

Richard Perini

Open seat. The current District 2 council member is running for mayor. Four-year term.

Richard Perini has spent his career making places harder to break into. He owns a licensed Simi Valley security and access control company, he has volunteered on a city advisory board, and he named public safety one of his three priorities before anyone asked him to.

Security is his profession, not a talking point

Perini's ballot designation is Business Owner, and the state record backs it. The Contractors State License Board lists him as the qualifying individual on his company's active license for low voltage systems and electrical work, and he has certified that he owns at least 10 percent of the company. The Better Business Bureau dates the business to 1999 and rates it A plus. He knows what it actually costs to secure a building, a campus, or a neighborhood, which is a useful thing to have on a council that votes on exactly that.20,21,22,23,14

He served this city before he ran for it

Perini has never held elected office, but he has done the unglamorous work. In 2022 he served on Neighborhood Council No. 2, one of Simi Valley's appointed volunteer advisory boards. In December 2025 the Simi Valley Acorn photographed him building bicycles at the Holiday Children's Bike Assembly Party at Monte Vista School. He gives this community ordinary weekends, not just campaign season.24,25,26,27,14

He put public safety in his top three from the start

Perini's campaign runs on three priorities: economic development, city government efficiency, and public safety. He has also run it in the open, filing his candidate intention statement in July 2025, forming his committee that October, and carrying his committee's Fair Political Practices Commission identification on his website. Our board reviewed his record, scored his questionnaire, and interviewed him in person before putting him on this slate.22,14

The Simi Valley Police Officers' Association is proud to support your campaign and stand with a candidate who understands our mission and shares our vision for a safer Simi Valley.SVPOA endorsement letter, signed by President Corey Baker

On the record

  • His campaign describes him as the founder of Absolute Security and Technologies, Inc., a Simi Valley security and access control company.22
  • Qualifying individual on the company's active California contractor license, covering C-7 Low Voltage Systems and C10 Electrical work. Certified owner of 10 percent or more of the company.21
  • The Better Business Bureau lists the business as started in October 1999, with an A+ rating and accreditation since January 2020.23
  • Served on Simi Valley Neighborhood Council No. 2, an appointed volunteer advisory board, in 2022.25
  • Built bicycles at the 2025 Holiday Children's Bike Assembly Party at Monte Vista School on December 13, 2025.27
Campaign website

City Council, District 4

Deb Dickerson

Open seat. The current District 4 council member is not running again. Four-year term.

Deb Dickerson wore a badge for 28 years. She knows what a thin shift feels like at two in the morning, and she has three kids in Simi Valley schools. She is running on one thing: making sure the people who protect this city are funded and supported.

She has done the job

Dickerson served with the Los Angeles Police Department from 1989 to 2017: patrol in Hollywood, Foothill, and Newton, Vice in Hollenbeck, then Air Support beginning in 1996 as a tactical flight officer who earned command pilot certification. She served on the Peer Counseling Unit and the Crisis Response Team, including a deployment to New York City after September 11. When she tells a council what officers need, she is not guessing.28,14

She wants public safety funded in the lean years too

Her platform pledges to fight for the police and fire budgets, staffing, and resources this city needs consistently, year after year, and not only when revenue is good. That is the difference between a department that can plan and one that spends its time reacting. It is also the most common place we watch City Hall fall short.28,14

She wants officers and neighbors on the same side

Dickerson backs crisis response programs and community outreach that head off problems early, and she calls for a real partnership with Simi Valley Unified so students feel protected at school. She has lived here since 2003. Her husband, Manny, also retired from the LAPD, and their three children attend district schools. Her stake in this is the same as yours.28

We proudly support leaders who recognize the value of safe neighborhoods, responsible government, and strong partnerships between law enforcement and the communities we protect.SVPOA endorsement letter, signed by President Corey Baker

On the record

  • Served with the Los Angeles Police Department from 1989 to 2017.28
  • Appears on the Ventura County ballot for Simi Valley City Council, District 4, with the ballot designation Retired Police Officer.20
  • Worked patrol in the Hollywood, Foothill, and Newton divisions and served in Vice in Hollenbeck Division.28
  • Helped write the LAPD operational manual in the Planning and Research Division.28
  • Joined the LAPD Air Support Division in 1996 as a tactical flight officer and earned command pilot certification.28
Campaign website

Rancho Simi Park Board, Division 1

Brian Dennert

No one filed against him, so Ventura County will not print this race on the ballot. He keeps the seat.

Parks go bad quietly. Brian Dennert has spent eight years on the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District board making sure ours do not, and when neighbors told him Frontier Park felt unsafe, he came back with lighting, cameras, and patrols.

He acted when residents said a park felt unsafe

After a 2024 shooting at Frontier Park and an assault at Verde Park, residents brought it to the board. The July 17, 2024 minutes record Dennert's answer: close the Elizondo gate earlier at night, add lighting and cameras, put more bike patrols in the Arroyo, and station a ranger vehicle at the park. He treats a safety complaint as an assignment, not a comment card.29,30,31,32

He funds rangers and cameras, and he still counts the cost

As of February 2026 the district's ranger program ran three full-time and seven part-time rangers who work with the Simi Valley Police Department on vandalism and e-motorcycle enforcement, with plans to expand security cameras and feed them live to ranger vehicles. Dennert voted for the preliminary budget carrying $50,000 for park security cameras and $250,000 for Frontier Park playground upgrades. He also watches the bill: when a board seat opened in 2025, he backed filling it by appointment rather than paying for a special election.33,34,35

Eight years on the board, chair twice

Dennert joined the board in December 2018. His colleagues elected him chair in 2021, vice chair in 2025, and chair again in 2026. In 2024 the Ventura County Special Districts Association named him Director of the Year, citing the district's Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service and Earth Day events. He also teaches at Royal High School, so he sees this community from two directions at once.36,37,38,39,40,41

We believe in your leadership, record, and service on the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District Board of Directors and look forward to your continued work for our community.SVPOA endorsement letter, signed by President Corey Baker

On the record

  • February 2024: The Ventura County Special Districts Association named him 2024 Director of the Year. The award cited the district's MLK Day of Service and Earth Day events and closer ties with the Simi Valley Youth Council. It also noted a new youth member on a standing committee.40
  • July 17, 2024: After a shooting at Frontier Park, suggested keeping the Elizondo gate closed earlier at night and adding lighting and cameras. Also called for more bike patrols in the Arroyo and a ranger vehicle at the park entrance.29
  • November 2024: Voted to approve about $140,000 for security cameras at 5 district facilities. Raised privacy concerns and said audio should not be recorded. Staff confirmed the cameras record video only.32
  • June 2025: Voted for the 2025-26 preliminary budget. It included $50,000 for park security cameras, $250,000 for Frontier Park playground upgrades, and more than $1 million for sports-field lighting.33
  • June 2025: Supported filling a board vacancy by appointment rather than holding a special election estimated at about $400,000.34
Campaign website

Oxnard City Council, District 1

John Barrick

Challenger. A Ventura County prosecutor since 2005 and an Oxnard native. Four-year term.

John Barrick has spent 21 years working the worst days of other people's lives. He is a Ventura County homicide prosecutor, he grew up in Oxnard, and law enforcement across this county already knows exactly what his record is.

He has prosecuted this county's hardest cases

Barrick joined the Ventura County District Attorney's Office in January 2005 and has worked misdemeanors, general felonies, domestic violence, serious and violent felonies, and the gang unit. He has handled homicides since 2014 and is now a senior deputy district attorney in the Major Crimes Homicide Unit. In August 2026 a Simi Valley man he prosecuted was sentenced to 51 years to life. In May 2025 he closed a 2004 Ojai murder for hire case with a sentence of life without parole, 21 years after the crime.42,43,44,14

Standing up for victims has been his job, not his slogan

The Ventura County District Attorney's Office named Barrick its Prosecutor of the Year in 2014 and again in 2018. He also received the Anti-Defamation League's 2014 Sherwood Prize for Combatting Hate and an honorary member award from the Oxnard Police Department's violent crimes unit. Officers who have carried cases to him already know what they are getting on a council dais.42,45,46,47,44

He is asking Oxnard for what we ask of Simi Valley

Barrick's ballot statement pledges to support police, firefighters, and emergency responders, to demand open and honest decision making, and to insist that city funds are managed responsibly. He moved to Oxnard at eight, went through Oxnard schools, and graduated from Oxnard High in 1987. Public safety does not stop at a city line, and neither does our interest in who runs Ventura County's cities.14,44,48,49

Those of us in law enforcement who have followed your career know your record, know your commitment to victims and public safety, and know the kind of seriousness you would bring to public office. Your background as an Oxnard native and longtime Ventura County prosecutor gives us confidence that you understand both the community you seek to represent and the importance of safe neighborhoods, accountability, and responsible local leadership.SVPOA endorsement letter, signed by President Corey Baker

On the record

  • Ventura County prosecutor since January 2005; now a Senior Deputy District Attorney in the Major Crimes Homicide Unit.43
  • Homicide prosecutor since 2014 after assignments in misdemeanors, general felonies, domestic violence, serious and violent felonies, and the Hardcore Gang Unit.42
  • Named Prosecutor of the Year by the Ventura County District Attorney's Office in 2014 and 2018.42
  • Received the Anti-Defamation League's 2014 Sherwood Prize for Combatting Hate and a 2014 honorary member award from the Oxnard Police Department Violent Crime Unit.42
  • August 2026: prosecuted the case of a Simi Valley man sentenced to 51 years to life for second-degree murder.45
Campaign website

Position statement · June 1, 2026

School Resource Officers

The full statement adopted by the Simi Valley Police Officers Association.

The Simi Valley Police Officers’ Association believes that every child deserves to learn in a safe, stable environment protected by properly trained, consistently present School Resource Officers.

Over the last decade, SVUSD has grown into a diverse district of more than 17,000 students and staff members spread across 28 campuses, yet the SRO program has never been staffed or supported at a level that matches the size and complexity of our schools. For years, school staff and SVPD personnel have raised concerns about the lack of a stable, fully staffed SRO program.

We fully support concrete, data-driven recommendations to improve school safety, early intervention, and relationships with students and families. We strongly believe that the current authorizations for just two SRO positions leaves SVUSD students, educators, and families are left without a daily, dedicated law enforcement presence on their campuses during school hours.

The current system creates a public safety gap as all school-related calls for service are handled by patrol officers pulled from the field on a standard priority basis. These officers work hard and respond professionally, but they are not embedded on campus, do not have the same specialized SRO training, and cannot provide the proactive, relationship based, school‑specific safety services that students and staff deserve. This reactive model creates critical holes in threat assessment, early intervention, and campus‑specific problem solving, and it no longer reflects the expectations of our community or the realities of modern school safety.

The SVPOA has not set any specific number of SROs or for any particular funding mechanism; those important decisions appropriately rest with City and Simi Valley Police administration, SVUSD leadership, and other elected bodies.

However it is clear to all, and it is the the Association’s position, that the current level of SRO coverage is inadequate. The current model of two SROs were never enough for this district and relying on a single SRO is unacceptable. Further pulling beat officers into random school calls is not a sustainable or responsible school safety strategy.

Students, parents, educators, and our broader community deserve a modern, well‑designed SRO program that is staffed, trained, and funded as a core public safety function, not as an afterthought.

The SVPOA therefore urges City and District leaders to acknowledge the existing gaps, commit to strengthening the SRO program, and work collaboratively and transparently to determine and fund the appropriate level of dedicated SRO staffing for SVUSD.

By doing so, Simi Valley can move from a reactive patchwork of coverage to a stable, proactive, school‑based safety partnership that protects our children, supports educators, and reflects our community’s shared commitment to safe, welcoming campuses.

Read it on simivalleypoa.net

Endorsement process

How We Decide

The same three steps for every candidate, in every race.

1. We read the record

Votes, budgets, public statements, and community service. What someone has already done tells us more than what they promise.

2. We send a questionnaire

Detailed and in writing, on staffing, School Resource Officers, officer wellness, city finances, and transparency. Every candidate answers the same questions.

3. We sit down together

Each candidate meets our board in person. The board scores every interview, and the PAC board votes on the endorsement.

What we are looking for

  • Do they understand how a city police department actually works?
  • Will they back the training, the staffing, and the facilities that keep Simi safe?
  • Do they have a plan for the city's finances that lasts past one budget cycle?
  • Have they served this community before, in a role that answers to the public?
  • Will they follow the rules that govern campaigns and open government?

We focus on the local races where our members serve. This year the board chose not to endorse in the State Assembly race so it could concentrate on Simi Valley, the park district, and our neighbors in Ventura County.

Candidates we endorse may use our logo under a written, limited license. It requires the phrase "Proudly endorsed by the Simi Valley POA" and forbids using our name in an attack.

About the SVPOA