Chief David O. Brown was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. He grew up in South Oak Cliff and is a proud third-generation Dallasite. In 1983, Chief Brown quit school during his senior year in college to become a Dallas police officer – with a goal of fighting the crack cocaine epidemic in his old neighborhood.

Over his 33 years in the Dallas Police Department, the Chief was a patrolman, a crime scene detective, a SWAT team member and leader, an internal affairs detective, and assistant chief. His life and career have also been marked by personal tragedy and triumph. The tragedies include the death of his brother to drug-related violence, the murder of his partner, and the death of his mentally ill adult son in a shootout with police that also left a police officer dead.

The triumphs include completing his Bachelors and Masters degrees while being promoted to the highest ranks of the police department. As Chief of police, he reduced crime more than any other chief in the history of the department. He reduced officer involved shootings more than 40% and excessive force complaints more than 70% to their lowest points on record. Chief Brown’s efforts in community policing are nationally renowned. He is the longest-serving – and most beloved – Dallas Police Chief in modern times.

His leadership during and after the tragic events of July 7, 2016 calmed the city of Dallas and the nation. Chief Brown’s decision to use a robot to detonate C4 explosives in order to neutralize a suspect was a first in the history of American policing. And the Chief’s call to protesters to become a part of the solution – by applying to join the police department – earned the chief accolades from across the nation and around the world.

Chief Brown has relied on his faith to get through the difficult times in his life. He is married to a retired Dallas police sergeant whom he met when she was an undercover narcotics officer making drug buys in his old neighborhood.