Marshall E. McClain

Marshall E. McClain is an American labor union leader, police officer and nationally recognized spokesman on issues relating to law enforcement, airport safety and security. He currently serves as president of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association (LAAPOA)https://laapoa.com/about/board-of-directors/, and is also the co-founder of the American Alliance of Airport Police Officers (AAAPO).https://laapoa.com/news-and-events/aaapo
== Career and personal life ==
McClain’s service to country and community began when he enlisted in the U.S. Army directly after high school to serve during Operation Desert Storm. After honorably discharging from military service, he attended the Rio Hondo Regional Police Academy, graduating in 1996.
McClain’s 24-year law enforcement career began in 1996 as a park patrol officer with the City of Los Angeles. He then served as a park ranger with the Burbank Police Department from 1997 to 2001. McClain returned to the City of Los Angeles as a park patrol officer in 2001. In 2003, he was hired as a police officer with the Los Angeles Airport Police Department (LAXPD) and assigned to the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), where he serves to this day.
McClain is a senior officer, the rank of Police Officer III+1, a terrorism liaison officer and one of a handful of the LAXPD instructors for the newly developed Behavioral Detection Officer program. He is currently assigned to the Patrol Services Section as a senior lead officer, a position that often acts as a field supervisor. He has held numerous positions throughout the department, including in the Homeland Security and Intelligence Section, as a canine handler and as a field training officer.
In 2009, McClain was elected as president of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association. He is the longest-serving president of the union since its founding in 1982, with more than a decade in the role.https://laapoa.com/about/past-presidents/
In addition to serving as president of LAAPOA, McClain is the co-founder of AAAPO, an affiliation of airport police officers across the nation that ensures that boots-on-the-ground voices are included in the media and governmental conversations on airport security.https://aaapo.org/ The alliance includes among its members some of the busiest and most terrorist-targeted Category X airports in the nation — LAX, JFK, La Guardia, Newark and Dallas–Fort Worth.
McClain also serves on the executive board of directors for the Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC)https://porac.org/about/board-of-directors/, the largest statewide public safety association in California with over 75,000 membershttps://porac.org/about/. He was nominated to serve as one of 15 commissioners on the California Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) Commission. The governor appoints 15 of the commissioners for three-year overlapping terms with the advice and consent of the California State Senate.
McClain has been interviewed and quoted on various print, radio and major television networks, including ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and CNN.
McClain currently resides in Los Angeles County with his wife and their two daughters. He is finishing his B.S. degree in criminal justice. He remains active in his community and enjoys coaching youth and high school sports while also volunteering at local parks and recreational gyms and his community church.
== LAAPOA presidency ==
As LAAPOA president, McClain represents the sworn police officers of the Los Angeles Airport Police, the Los Angeles Municipal Police and the Los Angeles Park Rangers assigned to protect and serve Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Van Nuys Airport (VNY) and the city of Los Angeles, and provide emergency medical services, law enforcement and wildland firefighting in the open space parks and throughout the city of Los Angeles. 
=== Organizing successes ===
Since taking the helm of the union, McClain has fought for the rights and benefits of all members, negotiating contracts focused on increased retirement benefits, pay parity, new equipment and funding for recruitment. He has also represented LAXPD members in discussions with airport management regarding budgeting for security spending, leadership issues within the LAXPD and more. In recent years, LAAPOA successfully advocated for the construction of the new state-of-the-art Airport Police facility, secured more than 150 new vehicles to the LAXPD fleet and advanced state and federal legislation that enhances the law enforcement profession and the safety and well-being of officers.
In 2019, LAAPOA introduced a new benefit available to LAXPD officers and other LAWA employees: LAXPD University, which offers tuition reimbursement for qualifying personnel to enhance their job proficiency through education and training.
LAAPOA is currently working with Chief Park Ranger Joe Losorelli on arming Los Angeles park rangers.
=== Legislative activities during tenure ===
As LAAPOA president, McClain also represents the LAXPD and LAX on the national level, speaking about airport safety and security issues in Washington, D.C. After the November 1, 2013 shooting at LAX that claimed the life of a TSA officer, he was invited to testify before the U.S. Congressional Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
In 2019, LAAPOA and AAAPO lead the effort to reauthorize and expand the Law Enforcement Officer Reimbursement Program, federal legislation passed by Congress that allows airports to increase the presence of law enforcement officers at high-volume security locations and screening checkpoints while receiving federal funding to do so.
=== Charitable activities ===
In 2015, LAAPAAL, LAAPOA, Los Angeles World Airports and Association of Airport Employees joined forces to create the Tommy Scott Memorial 5K and 10K LAX Run, an event honoring the life of LAXPD Officer Tommy Scott, who was killed in the line of duty on April 29, 2005, while protecting the aviation community from a man intent on crashing a vehicle into an airplane on the LAX airport runway. In 2016, the event was expanded to include a half-marathon course. The run draws at least 1,000 runners, city leaders, public safety agencies and supporters from throughout L.A. County and beyond. All proceeds from the run benefit the Tommy Scott Memorial Scholarship Fund, which has awarded dozens of scholarships over the past decade.
== References ==
==External links==
* Marshall McClain - Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers
* Statement From LAAPOA President Marshall McClain on the Death of George Floyd
* Marshall McClain on linkedin
Category:American labor leaders
Category:American trade unionists
Category:American police officers
Category:Political spokespersons
Category:American people
Category:United States Army officers