The New York Times
NEW YORK (AP) - For the first time, a black police officer has been appointed to the governing board of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association.
Mubarak Abdul-Jabbar, 46, has been named to the union’s five-member board, The New York Times reported Thursday.
Union President Patrick Lynch said Abdul-Jabbar, who joined the force in 1993, was elevated to the post because of his years of experience as a police officer.
He will occupy the third-highest position in the union, which has come under fire in part for being quick to defend white officers accused of brutality against minorities.
Abdul-Jabbar said the union is working to better reflect the city’s diversity.
“We’re not going to eradicate the racial injustice of society overnight or the perception of racial injustice overnight,” he told The Times. “but we are - by example - showing that we recognize that we are dealing with the real issues that exist, and that qualified people in this organization get the qualified positions, pure and simple.”
Abdul-Jabbar, who joined the force as an officer with the Transit Authority Police, previously represented transit officers on the PBA’s lower board.
He replaces Officer John Loud, 61, who stepped down from the position as he nears retirement.