Retired Dallas Police Chief David Brown to present SMU December Commencement address

DALLAS (SMU) – Retired Dallas Police Chief David O. Brown will present the address at SMU's December Commencement at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, in Moody Coliseum. A Dallas native and a 33-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department, he gained national attention for his handling of a gunman's July ambush of five police officers who died working to protect participants in a downtown Dallas protest march.

David O. Brown

Brown, who retired Oct. 4, was sworn in as Dallas’ 28th police chief in May 2010, commanding a department with more than 4,000 employees and an annual operating budget of $426 million dollars.

Building and maintaining strong, transparent relationships with the community was Brown’s focus since becoming chief. During his tenure, Brown transitioned the department to a community policing-focused organization and implemented policies and training to ensure citizen and officer safety. He also expanded several community outreach programs and youth centered programs.

Brown implemented policies and training to ensure citizen and officer safety during interactions, and emphasized the importance of de-escalation training for his officers. Under Brown’s leadership, the Dallas Police Department reduced the use of deadly force by more than 40 percent and reduced excessive force complaints by more than 80 percent.

Brown joined the department as a police officer in 1983. Before taking over as chief, he was named first assistant police chief under Chief David Kunkle in 2005, and then named as interim Dallas assistant city manager in 2007. In that position he directed operations in the areas of Code Compliance, Environmental & Health Services, Equipment & Building Services, Library Services, Park & Recreation, and Cultural Affairs.

Brown holds a Bachelor's degree and Master's degree in business administration. He is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy, FBI National Executive Institute, Senior Management Institute for Police, the National Counter-Terrorism Seminar in Tel Aviv, Israel, and the United States Secret Service Dignitary Protection Seminar in Washington, D.C. Chief Brown also holds Master Peace Officer and Police Instructor certifications from the State of Texas. In March of 2017 he will receive the J. Erik Jonsson Ethics Award from SMU's Maguire Center for Ethics.

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Media Contact:

Nancy George
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