FLORIDA STATE LODGE
FOP PAST PRESIDENTS

Past President James Mann moved to the Miami area from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1972.  He began his professional law enforcement career in 1981, joining the Miami Police Department.  He is currently a Law Enforcement Captain for the State of Florida, assigned to the Office of Inspector General for the Office of the Attorney General as the Director of Law Enforcement Investigations.

November of 2007 James retired from the Miami Police Department, after more than twenty six and a half years.  At the time of his retirement from the City of Miami he held the rank of Sergeant, and had served as an Acting Commander on several occasions.  Some of the assignments President Mann had as a supervisor during his career with the Miami Police Department were, Communications Section (he was also assigned to Communications as an officer), Accreditations, Confiscations, Traffic Enforcement, and Uniform Patrol.  Prior to being promoted to the rank of sergeant James worked in Patrol, both in a uniform capacity and as part of a plain clothes surveillance detail, Robbery Unit as a detective, Homicide Unit as a detective.  During his assignment to Homicide he was part of the Traffic Homicide Detail.  James also became a certified trainer, worked as a Field Training Officer (FTO) and Field Training Sergeant (FTS).

During one of his assignments in the Communications Section, President Mann (after becoming a certified trainer) developed the first regular in-service training program for dispatchers and call takers.  Sworn personnel assigned to the unit were also included in the training.  His goal in developing the program was to give the sworn and civilian personnel a better understanding of each others job function, and to assist the personnel in improving their chances for job advancement.  President Mann received an Administrative Excellence Award for his program.  He also served as the Acting Project Manager during the installation and testing of a new, multi-million dollar, radio system.  He has also taught post orientation and in-service training classes for new police officers graduating from the academy.

During the early 1990’s the Miami Police Department had disbanded the Crime Analysis Unit.  In January 1997 President Mann completed an assignment to Miami’s FOP Lodge 20 and was asked by the Chief of Police to establish and supervise a new Crime Analysis Unit.

President Mann is a founding member and past president of the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team for Region XI of Florida.  During his tenure as CISM Region XI president, James and the team were activated by Florida Governor Lawton Chiles to respond to and work at the site of the ValueJet plane crash in the Everglades.  He has been a guest lecturer at the American Academy of Pediatrics Annual Conference, and at the Florida Highway Patrol Academy.  Since January of 2007 President Mann has served as a commissioner on the state’s Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission, as the representative for Florida’s Attorney General Bill McCollum.

In addition to the previously mentioned Administrative Excellence Award President Mann has received several other awards from the Miami Police Department, including the Silver Life Saving Award and the department’s highest award, the Medal of Honor.  He has been recognized by the City of Miami Commission and the Miami-Dade Delegation of the Florida Legislature for his participation as part of the first Florida law enforcement team to respond to New York City after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.  During his first year with the Office of the Attorney General President Mann received a Distinguished Service Award for his work on several cases, including a high profile case involving a municipal police department.

Upon graduation from the police academy in 1981 James Mann joined the FOP (Miami Lodge 20).  In 1987 he was trained to act as an employee representative and began representing member at departmental disciplinary review boards, and during statements to investigators.  He was also appointed to Lodge 20’s Constitution and Bylaws Committee; they were directed to conduct a major review and rewrite of the constitution and bylaws.  He also chaired the Legal Defense, Political Screening, and Scholarship Committees.  He also served as a trustee and Chairman of Miami Lodge 20’s Health Insurance Trust.  James became a member of Lodge 20’s Executive Board and held many positions, including Vice President.  In 1996 the lodge president was sent to the Southern Police Institute in Louisville, Kentucky.  James served as his lodge president during that time; it was during this period that the City of Miami suffered a severe fiscal crisis. 

President Mann has served on the Florida State Lodge’s Constitution & Bylaws, Labor, and Training committees.  He was also appointed to the Labor Council Committee as an advisor on collective bargaining issues.  In December 1994 District Six Director Robert Anderson resigned his position, members of the district unanimously selected James as a replacement.  He served as District Six Director until the June Conference in 1996 when he was elected 2nd Vice President, he was re-elected (unopposed) twice before being elected 1st Vice President in 2002.  June 2004, at the 55th Annual June Conference in Tampa, James was elected President of the Florida State Lodge.  He served as President until June of 2006.

Following the Biannual Conference of 2005 Grand Lodge President, Chuck Canterbury, formed a Future Planning Task Force.  This task force was to review the operation of the Grand Lodge and make recommendations on the future direction the organization should take in order to better serve the membership, and the law enforcement profession.  President Mann was asked to serve on that task force.  

Upon being elected Florida’s Attorney General in November of 2007, Bill McCollum asked President Mann to serve as a part of his Transition Team representing law enforcement, and the Florida State Lodge.  President Mann continues to serve the membership as a member of the Florida State Lodge Executive Board, and as a member of Miami Lodge 20’s Executive Board.