David J.

David Mahoney is a career law enforcement officer having begun his profession in 1979.  He has served in a Village Department of less than five officers, a City Department of less than one hundred officers, and County Sheriff’s Office of over five hundred.  David currently is serving his third term as Dane County Sheriff having first been elected in November 2006 to become the 52nd Sheriff of Dane County. In May of 2021 he retired and joined American Family Insurance Company of Madison, WI.  

David has a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Mount Senario College and course work through the University of Virginia and University of Wisconsin.  In addition David is a graduate of the 92nd National Sheriff’s Institute, Executive Management Program, the 234th Session of the FBI National Academy and 36th Session of the FBI National Executive Institute (NEI) for Executive Management.

Along with his law enforcement duties in Dane County, WI. David serves on several statewide and national committees to include: National Sheriff’s Association – Board of Directors, Major County Sheriff’s Association – National Secretary, Major County Sheriff’s Association – Committee on Jail Mental Health, Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), and Wisconsin Governor’s Council on Homeland Security.

David has extensive experience in labor management having serve over twelve years as a local, state and national labor leader and has a passion for effectuating change in law enforcement culture from a rules-based to a values-based organization and building trust and legitimacy between law enforcement and the communities they serve.