Daniel B. Malloy is the new Capitol Police assistant chief of police and chief of operations, the department announced Thursday.

Malloy, who most recently served as deputy chief, replaces Tom Reynolds. Reynolds, who had been assistant chief since December 2011, retired in March.

Malloy first joined the Capitol Police in 1985 and moved up through the ranks steadily. He was a uniformed officer until 1995, when he was promoted to sergeant. He was promoted to lieutenant in 2004 and oversaw the Hazardous Devices Section. He kept rising in the ranks, becoming captain in 2006, inspector in 2008 and deputy chief and bureau commander of the Operations Services Bureau in 2012.

His time as an inspector included a stint with the dignitary protection division as well.

Malloy’s skills with hazardous materials, as a bomb technician and with crisis management could serve him well in a challenging environment that the force finds itself in. In addition to having to deal with the effects of the sequester on staffing levels and reduced funding, the brass and the force’s labor committee have a recent history of conflict.

“His varied experiences and his personal leadership traits will serve the department and the congressional community well,” department spokesman Shennell S. Antrobus wrote in a statement.

Post Office Closures Have Time Frame

With the U.S. Postal Service posting “Final Determination to Close” notices in post office sites in the Cannon and Rayburn buildings and the Capitol last week, the House-side congressional community finally has a long-awaited time frame for when the targeted branches will close.

According to the USPS, the anticipated closure date for the three sites is “on or around Aug. 23.” Assuming all goes as planned, the closings would conclude a long journey. The USPS first identified the three sites for closure in November 2011.

House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and House Administration Chairwoman Candice S. Miller, R-Mich., whose panels have jurisdiction over the Postal Service and mail operations on campus, have voiced support for closing the three branches.

In a release that followed the Wednesday announcement about the “Final Determination” notices, the two said, “We are encouraged that the United States Postal Service has heeded our request and is moving forward with the consolidations of the post office facilities in the House office buildings. … The cost savings from these consolidations are a small but symbolically important step in restoring USPS to long-term financial solvency.”