Congrats go out to Sgt Matthew Mahl of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. In an election held January 12th, he became the new head of the Washington D.C. Police Union. The first day in his new position will be April 1.
Mahl’s election by a 2-to-1 margin as chairman of the Labor Committee of the Fraternal Order of Police — the official title of the union — came as a surprise to department observers, who view the development as a clear decision by rank and file members to oust their current leader, Sgt. Delroy Burton.
Under the union’s governing procedures, Mahl doesn’t assume the office of chairman until April 1.
Mahl told the Washington Blade that he and two other candidates who won election to the position of vice chairman and secretary ran on a platform calling for an end to what they considered an overly confrontational posture of the union’s current leaders toward D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier and the administration of Mayor Muriel Bowser.
“The current union leaders are always attacking the chief and the city,” he told the Post. “The police union and the city have the same goals. We want happy and safe police officers and we want happy and safe communities. We can’t keep punching the police leaders in the face all the time.”
The union website says the FOP Labor Committee represents approximately 3,600 members, which include sworn officers, detectives and sergeants. It says the chairman serves as the union’s chief executive officer and is one of five members of an Executive Committee, which “exercises general administrative authority and is empowered to act on behalf of the Labor Committee.”
Lanier and the mayor’s office released statements saying they were pleased that the newly elected union leadership wants to work cooperatively with the chief and the city government.
“I love the idea that the chairman is saying everything is not a fight, and everything doesn’t have to be adversarial,” the Post quoted Lanier as saying.
Mahl served as acting supervisor and later as supervisor of the then-Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit (GLLU) from July 2012 to March 2015, when Sgt. Jessica Hawkins, the current supervisor, succeeded Mahl.
Since leaving the GLLU, Mahl has worked as a patrol supervisor in the Sixth Police District. He told the Blade on Jan. 15 that under a longstanding arrangement between the union and the department, the chairman of the union works full-time as the union CEO and no longer performs regular police duties.
“That’s something I’m going to miss,” he said. – washingtonblade.com
Banding together and driving out corrupt leaders is easier said than done. I recall our Teachers' Union leader was immensely disliked and was figuratively and literally in bed with the administration / principal, but no one would step up and challenge her reign. It takes dedication and drive to do such a thing.
As mentioned in the blog title, Mahl is a gay 11-year veteran at the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. He was also a supervisor of the department’s LGBT Liaison Unit. We are sure his personal and professional record and merit led to his election over the current Union leader. Did him being gay have anything to do with his election? Most likely not, but his leadership skills shown while the head of the GLLU most likely helped.
We wish him, all the new elected officials, and the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department all the best.
Many great LGBT advancements are happeining in the D.C.P.D. In March of last year,
D.C. Police Sgt. Jessica Hawkins began work as the new supervisor of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit (GLLU), becoming the first transgender person to hold the position. Hawkins replaced Sgt. Matthew Mahl, who served as acting supervisor and later supervisor of the GLLU since July 2012. – washingtonblade.com
D.C. Police Sgt. Jessica Hawkins began work on March 3 as the new supervisor of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit, becoming the first transgender person to hold the position.
Hawkins replaces Sgt. Matthew Mahl, who served as acting supervisor and later supervisor of the GLLU since July 2012.
– See more at: http://www.washingtonblade.com/2015/03/10/trans-woman-named-head-d-c-gay-police-unit/#sthash.N8woIH2f.dpuf
For more on Mahl's victory, head over to The Washingtonblade.com and read the story by Lou Chibbaro Jr.