David Brown

David O’Neal Brown currently serves as Chief Operating Officer at Loncar Lyon Jenkins, Attorneys at Law.  David is a native of Dallas who grew up in Oak Cliff, is a nationally recognized expert on security, law enforcement, and crisis management. He is also the author of his memoir, “Called to Rise,” a chief operating officer of the law firm Loncar Lyon Jenkins and an adjunct professor at the University of North Texas at Dallas. 

Brown began his law enforcement career as a Dallas police officer in 1983. Rising to the rank of Dallas Police Chief in 2010, he led the department until he retired from the City of Dallas in 2016. As the longest-serving police chief in Dallas since the 1960s, Brown earned a reputation for strong community policing,  transparency and accountability. He was the first Dallas police chief to publish officer-involved shooting data. He initiated a body camera program during his administration and launched a department-wide social media initiative as one of the tools to enhance communication with the public.  

During his tenure as Dallas’ 28th police chief, Dallas saw its most significant reduction in crime in its history. Violent and overall crimes were reduced to 50 and 40-year lows, respectively. With his leadership, the department reduced the number of officer-involved shootings by 40%, and Dallas achieved the lowest murder rate in over 80 years.  

In 2016, Brown gained national prominence for his leadership in the aftermath of a senseless killing spree by a gunman during a downtown Dallas protest march that left five police officers dead and nine officers and two civilians injured. In the wake of the tragedy and Brown’s heartfelt response, one news outlet referred to Brown as “America’s chief who comforted a nation.”   

As a no-nonsense, progressive police leader, Brown also served as the Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. He has been an ABC News on-air contributor; a George W. Bush Institute Fellow; and a senior advisor for Mark Cuban Enterprises/the Dallas Mavericks Basketball Team,  Pharos Capital Group and the Rainwater Charitable Foundation. Brown served as a board director of The Salvation Army, United Way, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, Southwestern Medical Foundation and WatchGuard, Inc., a Motorola body-worn camera company.  

Brown holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Dallas Baptist University and an MBA in Strategic Leadership from Amberton University. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, FBI National Executive Institute, Senior Management Institute for Police, National Counterterrorism seminar in Tel Aviv, Israel and the United States Secret Service Dignitary Protection seminar in Washington, D.C. Brown also holds Master Peace Officer and Police Instructor certifications from the State of Texas.  

He is the recipient of numerous awards, including an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Dallas Baptist University, the J. Erik Jonsson Ethics Award, the NAACP Leadership Award,  The University of Texas at Austin Distinguished Alumnus Award, the SWAT Meritorious Conduct for Courage and Bravery Award, the Police Executive Research Forum Leadership Award and the Jubilee History Maker Award from the Dallas Historical Society.