An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council member elected by voters.
On the North American version of the TV series Being Human, a middle-aged African American alderman was admitted to the Suffolk County Hospital. Vampire Marcus tried to feed from him, but attending nurse Aidan Waite, also a vampire, warned him that the officer was off limits to him and his boss, James Bishop. Marcus told him that Bishop wanted him to start recruiting people of influence.