Corporal Matthew Harper has spent 26 years wearing a law enforcement badge, and more than six of those years with the Menifee Police Department. Now the veteran officer is facing the fight of his life after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.
The diagnosis and its aftermath have prompted a fundraiser to support Harper and his family. The effort is intended to support Harper and his family.
To help offset the mounting costs, the Menifee Police Officers Association launched a fundraiser on the Peace Officers Research Association of California's “Fund a Hero” platform, seeking $30,000 to support Harper and his family, per PORAC. The campaign had already collected several thousand dollars within days of launching, reflecting an outpouring of support from Harper's local association and the statewide law enforcement community.
Why the Fundraiser Bypassed Commercial Platforms
The campaign's home on PORAC's own platform is no accident. Launched in 2019, “Fund a Hero” is free for members and charges no administrative or platform fees, meaning the program does not charge administrative or platform fees, the organization notes in its program materials. That stands in contrast to commercial fundraising sites, which may deduct platform fees.
Supporters can contribute to the effort through the PORAC fundraiser page set up specifically for Harper, with organizers framing the campaign as a way to ease the financial burden tied to his diagnosis and medical expenses. The fundraiser also seeks community support.
A Founding Officer of a Young Department
A Founding Officer of a Young Department Harper has served with the department for more than six years. The City of Menifee officially launched its own municipal police force in July 2020, ending its arrangement contracting public safety services through the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, according to the City of Menifee. Menifee's department was among California's newest, and Harper has served with the department.
By 2023, the department had grown to more than 90 sworn officers and accounted for roughly 23.3% of the city's $27.5 million operating budget, according to KVCR News. That rapid growth underscores just how much institutional weight and community investment has gone into the young agency Harper helped establish.
Legal Protections for Officers Facing Cancer
Harper's case also intersects with a broader legal framework built specifically for California peace officers and firefighters diagnosed with cancer. Under California Labor Code Section 3212.1, known as the William Dallas Jones Cancer Presumption Act, cancer diagnosed in active peace officers who have demonstrated exposure to known carcinogens is legally presumed to be job-related for workers' compensation purposes, according to FindLaw. That presumption shifts the legal burden of proof away from the officer.
The protections extend beyond active duty. California law extends the workers' compensation occupational cancer presumption for three additional months for every full year of service, up to a maximum of 10 years after an officer leaves active duty, per PORAC. California's workers' compensation laws also address industrial cancer claims.
A National Pattern Among Law Enforcement
Harper's diagnosis is discussed here in the broader context of health and law enforcement. The discussion also includes shift work and circadian disruption as occupational-health topics.
To help officers document exposures that could later factor into such claims, PORAC maintains the Hazardous Exposure Listing Program, a tool allowing officers to record workplace contact with toxic substances and carcinogens throughout their careers. It's the kind of institutional groundwork that can matter years down the line, when officers like Harper find themselves navigating a diagnosis that upends both their health and their finances.
For now, the focus in Menifee remains on Harper and the community effort to support him. The community has been asked to consider donating to the PORAC campaign as Harper and his family navigate the situation.
