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As a result of these and other measures in the Dallas police
department, excessive-force complaints against officers declined
by 64 percent over a five-year period. In a July 9, 2016, article,
Brown stated: “So far this year, in 2016, we have had four ex-
cessive force complaints. We’ve averaged between 150 and 200
my whole career. So this is transforma-
tive.” He also noted a decrease in the
number of police shootings. “We’ve aver-
aged between 18 and 25 police involved
shootings my whole career,” Brown said.
“We’ve had two so far this year.”
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Although Brown was devastated by
the murder of five Dallas police officers
during a Black Lives Matter protest, he
remains hopeful that efforts to build com-
munity relationships will lessen the risk
of violence in the city. One of his primary
goals is to recruit more minorities to work
as police officers. After the July 2016
shootings, Brown was emotional and distraught. At one point
during a news conference, he directed his words to young black
males who had been protesting police killings. “Become a part of
the solution,” Brown said. “We’re hiring. Get off that protest line
and put an application in. And we’ll put you in your neighborhood,
and we’ll help you resolve some of the problems you’re protesting
about.”
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High-Tech Law Enforcement
Whenever police chiefs talk about building community trust and
cutting down on excessive force, they often mention the impor-
tant role of technology. Although dash cams and body cams
alone cannot solve all problems, they can help ensure that the
truth comes out whenever police find it necessary to use force.
In 2016 the Major Cities Chiefs Association and Major Counties
Sheriffs’ Association surveyed seventy law enforcement agencies
throughout the United States. The purpose of the survey was
to find out whether police departments were using body cams.
Nearly all (95 percent) of the police chiefs surveyed were either
committed to body cams or were already using the devices. Most
“So far this year, in
2016, we have had
four excessive force
complaints. We’ve
averaged between
150 and 200 my
whole career. So this
is transformative.”
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—Dallas police chief David O.
Brown
