Category Chief Brown

Oct 4 2016

What’s Next for Chief David O. Brown?

While today might be his last day in uniform as the Chief of Dallas Police, Chief David O. Brown is looking forward to what the future holds. Chief Brown is putting away his badge and retiring from the Dallas Police Department after serving the the citizens of the City of Dallas for 33 years. 

“It is bitter sweet and very emotional,” Brown said, “I am looking forward to spending more quality time with my family, but I will definitely miss working for this city alongside the greatest officers in the country.” 

Chief Brown has always been service oriented and leaving the police department does not mean that will stop. He wants to inspire young people to embrace public service as a way to make change in their communities. No matter his next endeavor, Chief Brown is sure to be successful because of his passion for serving others and his willingness to step up and  be the change.

Congratulations on your retirement Chief Brown! We wish you the best in everything the future has to bring. You will be missed by the men and women of the Dallas Police Department. 

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May 5 2016

DART Older Americans Month Information and Health Fair

The Dallas Police Department participated in this year’s “DART Older Americans Month Information and Health Fair” out at Fair Park. DART has been hosting the event for the past 22 years and asked Dallas Police Chief David O. Brown to be this year’s special guest. Chief Brown addressed the crowd and thanked everyone for their support and involvement in the community.

The Centennial Hall at Fair Park was packed with vendors who were providing health care information to the participants, while the Dallas Tap Dazzlers performed for the boisterous crowd. Everyone had a great time dancing and mingling with Chief Brown as he made his rounds through the crowd. Thank you to everyone who participated in today’s event! We can’t wait to be a part of it again next year! 

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Apr 29 2016

Dallas Police Department Awards Ceremony

Dallas Police Chief David O. Brown presented various departmental awards today, April 28, 2016, at 10:00 a.m.  The presentation was held in the Donald A. Stafford Media Conference Room on the 2nd floor of the Jack Evans Headquarters at 1400 S. Lamar Street.

The following awards were presented: 

Tenure Award Recipients

20 Years of Service

  • Lieutenant Israel Herrera (not pictured)
  • Sergeant Orlando Robinson
  • Sergeant Francis S. Crump
  • Stephanie C. Vanegas

25 Years of Service

  • Sergeant John E. Larsen
  • Sergeant Stephen A. Bishopp (not pictured)
  • Police Officer Timothy J. Drummond

30 Years of Service

  • Lieutenant Phyllis I. Nobles (not pictured)
  • Senior Corporal Linda H. Kindt
  • Senior Corporal Christopher K. Daniels
  • Anita J. Bassinger
  • Andrea Yellowfish (not pictured)

Perfect Attendance 

20 Years

  • Lieutenant Terrence D. Rhodes
  • Sergeant Francis S. Crump

25 Years

  • Executive Assistant Chief David R. Pughes
  • Deputy Chief Christina E. Smith

35 Years

  • Lieutenant Charles E. Epperson (not pictured)
  • Deborah L. Joseph

Meritorious Conduct Award Recipients

Life Saving Awards

The Life Saving Award is given when it is shown through documented evidence from witnesses, victims, or medical authorities that an officer was directly responsible for the saving of a human life.

Below is a synopsis of each nomination letter composed for the various awards:

On November 5, 2015, Senior Corporal Sheldon Smythe responded to a 911 call at the Saint Paul bridge above Interstate 30. A citizen was threatening to jump off the bridge into oncoming traffic and was straddling the guardrail when officers arrived. Responding officers talked to the distraught citizen as Senior Corporal Smythe noticed the citizen was looking down as if he was about to jump. Senior Corporal Smythe courageously grabbed the citizen and pulled him to safety, saving his life. Senior Corporal Smythe was not available to attend today’s ceremony.

On November 8, 2015, Sergeant David Crowley, Police Officer Lasharon Watson, Police Officer Rachel Rice and Police Officer Matthew Henry showed tremendous patience and empathy when they responded to a 911 suicide call at the 2200 block of Interstate 45. The officers found the citizen sitting on a ledge from the overpass. The citizen told the officers she was the mother of two children and battling cancer. The officers worked together as a team to block the traffic and ordered Dallas Fire Rescue while Officers Watson and Rice spent over an hour talking to the citizen. The officers established a rapport and gained her trust, continually reassuring her. They were able to convince her to let them take her to a hospital. 

On a cold day, November 28, 2015, the City of Dallas was under a flash flood warning. A 911 call came in regarding a female citizen trapped inside her vehicle in the freezing flood water near California Crossing and Wildwood Drive. The female citizen told the 911 dispatcher that the flood water had risen so high, it had reached her stomach. Her car was floating and moving in the water’s current. Due to the darkness and large area, it was very difficult for the officers to locate her, but they did not give up. They finally found her as the freezing flood waters continued to rise. The officers disregarded their own safety and quickly went into the deep and dark water. Senior Corporal Raciel Hernandez was able to make it to the citizen’s vehicle and forced her car door open and got her out and to safety. If not for his tenacity and refusing to give up, the life of a citizen could have been lost that day.

On December 14, 2015, Senior Corporal Pedro Alonzo and his partner were flagged down by a citizen stating there was a person attempting to jump off the bridge at 1000 S. Lamar Street. Officers blocked traffic and Sergeant Patrick Cronin arrived at the scene. While Sgt. Cronin talked to the citizen, Senior Corporal Alonzo was able to sneak up behind the citizen, grab him, and pull him to safety. Not pictured is Sergeant Patrick Cronin.

On January 3, 2016, Police Officer Jamal Robinson received a 911 call regarding an unresponsive two-year-old child at 2755 East Ledbetter Drive. Upon arrival, a crowd of people had gathered and waved Officer Robinson to come inside an apartment. Officer Robinson found the mother holding the child. He immediately grabbed the child and performed C.P.R. Upon learning that an ambulance that was ordered went to the wrong apartment, Officer Robinson and his partner wrapped the child in a blanket and ran through the complex to the awaiting ambulance. Paramedics were able to attach a breathing apparatus to assist the child in breathing, saving the child’s life. If not for Officer Robinson’s quick actions, the child might not have been saved. 

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Apr 26 2016

Dallas Police Department Opens Camp Wisdom Outreach Center

On Tuesday, April 26, 2016, at 2 p.m., the Dallas Police Department celebrated the opening of the new Dallas Police Department Camp Wisdom Outreach Center.  The ribbon cutting ceremony took place at Southwest Center Mall, 3662 Camp Wisdom Road, near the inside entrance of Sears on the northeast side of the mall.

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Dallas Chief of Police David O. Brown, Deputy Chief Albert Martinez, Deputy Chief Christina Smith, Southwest Center Mall owner Peter Brodsky, Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Erik Wilson, and Councilman Casey Thomas, II were present at the ribbon cutting.

“The Community Outreach Center at Southwest Center Mall will allow our officers to build on the relationships we have already established in the area,” said Dallas Chief of Police David O. Brown. “This type of partnership is a vital part of our community policing efforts,” Brown said. 

The Camp Wisdom Outreach Center will serve as an information center for the public and a supplemental office for officers from the Southwest and South Central Patrol Divisions.

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Apr 22 2016

The White House: Police Data Initiative

The Dallas Police Department was invited to The White House today for the Police Data Initiative.  Leading law enforcement agencies along with technologists, researchers, and community stakeholders around the country met with Senior Administration and White House Officials.  They shared experiences, resources, technology tools and data innovation leveraged to increase trust between police and citizens as called for by the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing.

The meeting started with opening statements by Clarence Wardell III of the U.S. Digital Service at The White House followed by Megan Smith, the U.S. Chief Technology Officer. They both stressed the importance of having a good relationship between police departments and the citizens they are sworn to serve.

The panel was moderated by Roy Austin, Deputy Assistant to the President for Urban Affairs. Prior to sitting down at the table to partake in a very informative Q&A, he invited the three panelists to come up one at a time to discuss what they have done in their departments.

Chief Brown

Chief Brown was the first to take the podium and stated, “it starts with transparency.” He then mentioned the Dixon Circle incident where a Dallas Police officer, who happened to be white, shot an unarmed subject, who happened to be black. Immediately after the event unfolded, false rumors spread throughout the neighborhood that the officer shot the suspect in the back while he was running away.  Chief Brown explained why it was so important to get the facts out quickly, “Facts became the great equalizer for us.”

He went on to talk about how “trust is hard to earn and easy to lose.” According to Chief Brown, information belongs to the citizens and “we believe that police data is citizen data and we are the caretakers of the data.” He also talked about how the Dallas Police Department has implemented policies and training to ensure citizen and officer safety during interactions.  He emphasized the importance of using de-escalation, time and distance. If there is any misconduct, “we have to hold accountable the very small number of officers that violate our deadly force and use of force policies,” said Brown. 

He closed his statements by saying, “transparency is the beginning point, but you also have to have policy, training and you have to hold the small few officers accountable, so you can protect the integrity of the vast majority that makes us all proud.”

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Other panelists were Wendy R. Harn, Chief Data Officer with the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department, and Assistant Chief of Police Robert Schroeder of the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department.

To continue with transparency, the Dallas Police Department is proud to add the Response to Resistance database to our internet site. Here is the link http://dallaspolice.net/rtr/index.html.

Apr 7 2016

Working Together to Continue the Decline in Crime

In 2015, there was a 6% spike in violent crime and an increase in response times in Dallas. There have also been increases in violent crime across the country. As a result, our 2016 strategy includes a readjustment of officer schedules and proactive responses to crime spikes earlier in the year than we have in the past.  We must adapt to a changing environment with a sense of urgency.

There are a total of 3,490 officers on the department with approximately 2,400 in field assignments. This staffing allocation has worked to reduce crime 12 consecutive years (53% total crime reduction) and has pushed Dallas’ crime rates to 40, 50, and 80 year lows.  But now we must adjust and reallocate resources to continue the decline in crime.  Our temporary reallocation of some officers to the evening hours is not sustainable and will require a permanent readjustment.

Our crime analysis shows that both domestic violence and drug related crimes are the primary drivers of our violent crime increases this year and that these violent crimes, for the most part, are happening in the evening hours.

We have a 2016 plan to continue the decline in crime.  Our plan involves nearly 600 Dallas officers, some who have adjusted their work schedules to evening shifts and others who we have redirected their activities.  This effort includes but is not limited to:

The Violent Crime Task Force, foot patrols, 2 week rotations to patrol, Domestic Violence Warrant Team, Drug House Warrant Team, Property Crime Task Force and collaboration with local, state, and federal law enforcement, the City Attorney’s Office, and state and federal prosecutors.

In meetings with local and state law enforcement representatives, we all agreed that our most effective collaboration initially will be domestic violence warrant responsibilities, drug house warrants and other drug related crime enforcement, and gang enforcement efforts.  We are strengthening our relationships with our law enforcement partners so that we can continue to see a decline in crime.

Already, we are making progress.  Response times have improved and violent crime has come down 11% since the 1st of March.  This is an evolving operational strategy and adjustments will be made as needed.

In summary, violent crime is up across the country and we must adapt to a changing environment.  With criminals having no boundaries, neither should law enforcement.  We are confident that with our 2016 plan we will continue to see a decline in crime.  However, we will need the support of our citizens.  We will need your continued prayers for our officers and an acknowledgement of appreciation for their hard work.  Citizens can participate by being our eyes and ears through our volunteers in patrol program, crime watch, and engage with us through social media.  We all need to work together to continue the decline in crime. 

 

 

Mar 28 2016

Dallas Police Chief David O. Brown Announces Deployment of New Task Forces

There has been an increase in violent crimes in most large cities across the country.  In the city of Dallas, violent crime is up 22%, more specifically, homicides are up over 80% driven by domestic violence and drug related homicides.

The overall crime which includes both violent and property crimes is up 6%.

This is unacceptable to the men and women of the Dallas Police Department. The protection of the whole community is our primary duty and responsibility, and we take this very seriously. 

Therefore, in response, we are bringing to bear the full force of the police department, in our efforts to save lives.

Strategically we will focus on the following:

Violent Crime Task Force ~ Officer deployments to geographic high volume violent crime areas

Domestic Violence Warrant Teams ~ Arresting domestic violence offenders expeditiously

Narcotic Drug Warrant Teams ~ Closing down drug houses and arresting drug dealers

Property Crime Task Force ~ Officer deployments to geographic high volume home burglary and car burglary areas

Community Policing 2.0 ~   Officer deployments from non-patrol bureau positions within the department to the field to assist with call answering and crime fighting

Foot patrols ~ Officer deployments to proactively walk in geographic high crime areas throughout the city to increase police presence

This strategy requires Dallas Police officers to adjust their normal schedules, assignments, and to significantly increase their work volume.  

Most importantly, we are asking our officers to make additional sacrifices and to continue to put their lives on the line to stave off violent crime and arrest violent criminals  in a year when officer deaths and injuries due to ambushes and assaults by suspects are on the rise in Dallas, North Texas, and throughout the country.

I ask that all citizens join me in praying for their safety as they take on this challenge each day to save lives. 

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Feb 16 2016

Connecting With The Chief On The Beat

Have you ever seen the show “Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee?” The concept is very simple. A popular comedian drives around in a car with a celebrity to get coffee and have an interesting conversation that is all being recorded along the way.

Well, Dallas Police Chief David O. Brown decided to take the comedic concept, but transform it into a way to have productive, one-on-one time with community leaders to discuss neighborhood issues. 

Chief Brown wanted to ride around with the most outspoken community leaders, so he could hear about problem areas directly from the people who live there. Chief Brown explains, “The purpose is connecting with their concerns and making them ours.” 

Below is the first episode of “Connecting with the Chief on the Beat” featuring Downtown Community Leader, Tanya Ragan:

Feb 5 2016

A Message from Chief David O. Brown

Over the past two years the DWI Enforcement Unit’s manpower has dwindled to its current size. Efforts made to staff the unit proved unsuccessful; therefore, the duty fell mostly to patrol officers.

In 2007, the state mandated every officer entering the academy be trained in the Standardized Field Sobriety Testing process as part of their basic peace officer license.

The number of DWI arrests has dropped even though there are more officers qualified to perform the Standardized Field Sobriety Test.

Therefore, effective Friday, February 12, 2016, the DWI Enforcement Unit will be staffed with 18 additional officers and operational, working 8:00p.m.- 4:00am.