SACRAMENTO – After 15 years serving California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) members with representation and legal assistance, CSLEA Senior Legal Counsel Jim Vitko is announcing his plans for retirement.

“Jim is a wealth of knowledge given his decades of experience as a law enforcement officer and attorney,” said CSLEA President Alan Barcelona.  “He has been a vital part of our CSLEA legal team, has had a sincere and energetic commitment to assisting our members in their career paths and challenges, and is all around a very positive person to be around.  CSLEA sincerely thanks Jim for his years of dedication to our association and our members.”

Vitko became a licensed lawyer and a member of the California State Bar 22 years ago, in 1998.  For more than 25 years, Vitko worked in law enforcement including as a peace officer with California Highway Patrol, Medical Board of California and the California Department of Justice. 

It was during those years as a peace officer that Vitko became interested in obtaining his law degree.  He is a graduate of Southwestern University School of Law and the University of New Haven, Connecticut.

As a peace officer working for the State of California, Vitko became a member of CSLEA and then became more involved in his union as president of the Association of Special Agents-Department of Justice (ASA-DOJ) and a director on the CSLEA Board of Directors.  He has served on the Board of Directors for the California Coalition of Law Enforcement Associations (CCLEA), the Southern California Alliance of Law Enforcement (SCALE) and the California Peace Officers Memorial Foundation.

Vitko joined the CSLEA Legal Division in 2009 and served CSLEA members from CSLEA’s Southern Office. He has countless success stories assisting CSLEA members including:

• winning the right for an investigator to return to full duty following a rejection on probation,
•  a long-fought victory in the reclassification of CSLB enforcement representatives to special investigators,
• the successful implementation of side letters for special salary adjustments
• a victory in an “Out-of-Class” compensation arbitration
• and winning the battle for an agent’s right to reinstatement after disability retirement

Vitko has touched many CSLEA members over the years with his instruction in site representative classes, he has attended affiliate board of director meetings and site visits, conducted critical incident classes at CSLEA membership conferences, assisted with contract negotiations, and attended political functions on behalf of CSLEA.  Vitko was also eager to participate in CSLEA’s “Know Your Rights” videos, to assist CSLEA members with various issues including absence without leave, the use of social media as it pertains to one’s career, off-duty misconduct, and progressive discipline.

Vitko’s Retirement Announcement

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

It is with mixed feelings that I announce my retirement from CSLEA effective in October.  While I’m certainly looking forward to enjoying additional time with family and friends, as well as the prospect of travel and new adventures, the decision to retire was a difficult one.  It’s hard to remember a time when I wasn’t an active part of this organization. My affiliation with CSLEA goes back to 1994 when I first joined as a member.  Since that time, I have had the opportunity to serve as a Site Representative, Affiliate Board Member, CSLEA Director and, for the last 15 years, CSLEA Legal Counsel.

My experiences with CSLEA have been challenging, but overwhelmingly positive. I’ve had the pleasure of working with dedicated, professional colleagues and made a number of good friends.  The work this organization does is not always easy, but it is both important and necessary for the welfare of our members.  I am proud to have been part of it.

I would like to thank CSLEA President Alan Barcelona, CFO Ricardo Sanchez, and the CSLEA Board of Directors for their leadership and for giving me the opportunity to be part of the legal staff.  I would also thank Chief Counsel Kasey Clark, Supervising Counsel Dave De La Riva, Senior Legal Counsels Andrea Perez, Ryan Navarre, and also Legal Secretary Sherri Elrod, all for their guidance and also for their friendship.  I am also appreciative of Communications Manager Teri Cox, Membership Coordinator Rainie Brazil and Membership Representative Marco Castro for their friendship and help over the years. Finally, I would like to thank the membership for the work they do and for their support.

I hope to continue to be part of the CSLEA family as time permits, and to stay in touch. Best wishes.