“I have received a tremendous amount of support. The calls, texts, emails, cards and home visits have all been of great benefit to me and my family.” – CSLEA Member & DOJ Special Agent Matthew Pavlich
A catastrophic time bank has been established for CSLEA Member and Department of Justice (DOJ) Special Agent Matthew Pavlich. Pavlich, a special agent in the Bureau of Firearms, Riverside office, has been unable to work while undergoing treatment for a recently diagnosed illness. It is not known when Special Agent Pavlich will be able to return to work and he has already used all of his leave credits.
“This is a fellow agent in need of our help,” said Association of Special Agents (ASA)-DOJ President Al Cardwood. “The Catastrophic Time Bank is a way in which State employees can transfer some of their vacation, annual leave, personal leave, CTO or personal holidays to Matt so that, hopefully, he can continue to be paid while he focuses on his doctor appoints, treatments, his recovery and his family. We are all rooting for a strong recovery.”
Pavlich started his law enforcement career with the State of California in July 2004 as an Alcoholic Beverage Control investigator trainee. He was assigned to the Long Beach district office where he worked for approximately two years. In 2006, he was assigned as a task force officer to the Inland Crackdown Allied Task Force (INCA), a multi-agency narcotics task force within the DOJ Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement (BNE).
“I enjoyed the work so much, I became a special agent at BNE in 2008,” said Pavlich. “I was assigned to the Gang Suppression and Enforcement Team (GSET) and also worked on the Special Investigation Unit (SIU). Unfortunately when programs were downsized and BNE was defunded, I was laid off by DOJ. That was in February of 2012.”
After the lay-off, Pavlich returned to ABC, worked as an ABC agent in the Santa Ana district office and then moved to the Special Operations Unit (SOU) in Cerritos. When DOJ began to expand the Bureau of Firearms this year, Pavlich was rehired by DOJ. It was during the orientation training in Sacramento last month that Pavlich began experience swelling in his leg and pain in his hip.
“Eleven days after reporting for duty at DOJ, a CT scan was conducted and the immediate diagnosis was cancer,” said Pavlich, the doctors described a mass located in his lower abdomen and pelvis the size of a football. “Since then, I have received a tremendous amount of support from both DOJ and ABC personnel. The calls, texts, emails, cards and home visits have all been of great benefit to me and my family.”
By donating to Agent Pavlich’s catastrophic time bank, those who chose to, can give Agent Pavlich one less thing to worry about so that he can focus his time and energy on getting well.
“I wish Agent Pavlich and his family well as he takes on this health battle, ” said Alan Barcelona, president of the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA). “He has a large law enforcement family rooting for him.”
“Matt is a very experienced law enforcement officer and a quality person,” said Steven Combre, vice president of the California Alcoholic Beverage Control Agents (CABCA) ” I enjoyed every opportunity I had to work with him at ABC. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.”
Agent Pavlich’s diagnosis is the second medical blow to his family within less than a year. He used much of his leave time last summer caring for his wife after she required emergency surgery. “I cannot put into words the gratitude my family and I have for all involved in assisting me through these difficult times. For people to care enough to expedite the Catastrophic Leave Program, and donate their own time to help me through this has been amazing.” said Pavlich. “DOJ and ABC personnel have been outstanding in their support and I am blessed to be a part of such a caring and kind family of good people.”
