NEWS 8 EXCLUSIVE
DALLAS — Six finalists vying for the job as Dallas police chief have now been whittled down to one.
Sources at Dallas City Hall and Dallas police headquarters tell News 8 that the man who will replace Chief David Kunkle is his current second-in-command, First Assistant Chief David Brown.
The change will come this week; Chief Kunkle's last day is Friday.
Multiple sources have told News 8 that City Manager Mary Suhm will select Brown as Dallas' New police chief. He knows the city; he knows the department; and he is ready to hit the ground running.
Chief David Brown is home-grown, born and raised in Oak Cliff. Now he is poised to lead the Dallas Police Department.
In a recent interview with News 8, he said he is ready for the challenge. "I have served as second-in-command during the most successful time that the department has experienced," he said.
That is exactly why sources say David Brown has the advantage. Some City Council members have told News 8 they prefer an inside candidate.
"Leadership, being able to keep the department together, keep crime coming down and keep morale up," said City Council member Dwayne Caraway.
The city's murder rate is the lowest in 50 years, and the crime rate has dropped significantly. Experts attribute that to not only Chief Kunkle's leadership, but also give credit to his command staff, including David Brown.
"You have an executive officer who has been at the right hand of the chief all these years who has done a great job with Chief Brown," said Caruth Police Institute executive director Robert Taylor.
But not everyone will be happy with Chief Brown's selection. The Dallas Police Association backed Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo, but he dropped out late Tuesday saying he wanted to remain in the capital city.
"If that's the case, I think the manager made a mistake and allowed some very good candidates to get away," said DPA president Glenn White.
But sources say the city manager and the Council like David Brown. He has the unique experience of working directly with Mary Suhm as an interim assistant city manager for a year, where he won her confidence and that of the Council as an able administrator.
Suhm, who is charged with making the final decision on Chief Kunkle's replacement, was not commenting on Tuesday night.
But a news conference to name the new police chief is expected Wednesday or within the next couple of days.
David Brown attended the University of Texas from 1979 to 1983 and received his Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree from Dallas Baptist University in 1999. He got his Masters of Business Administration degree from Amberton University in 2001.
Brown's wife, Sgt. Cedonia Brown, is also a Dallas police officer.
E-mail rlopez@wfaa.com
