Meet John Brown, Interim MPD Police Chief

Interim Police Chief John E. Brown says he is honored to have the chance to lead the city’s police force and looks forward to building upon existing partnerships and solidifying plans already underway.

Chief Brown said one of those partnerships involves the work of the Montgomery Homicide Review Commission- a group of law enforcement and social service officials who come together to find ways to reduce homicides and other violent crimes. “We look at the common causes of violent crime and see what kind of intervention we can provide.” The group will be making recommendations on how to implement some of these crime-reduction projects in the fall.

Another project designed to build a stronger police department will be a streamlining of police efforts. “Chief (Ron) Cook and I are looking at ways that we can make sure our officers are where they need to be. We need to make sure we have officers assigned in central spots and that our manpower is used in the most effective, efficient way possible,” Chief Brown said.

Chief Brown also talked about a new live-fire situation shoot house for officers, particularly S.W.A.T., to improve training capabilities. The new facility will be more interactive and can be used in multiple ways. “We can have teams from the area come and train and also offer continuing education classes,” he said. The Peace Officers Standards & Training Commission is funding the shoot house at MPD’s outdoor range.

Chief Brown said plans also include a move of all motor vehicle crash and ticket reports to a new computer system that will allow officers to access all of the data from their desktops. “This will be a huge improvement in the way we manage our operations,” he said.

The interim chief brings a combination of education, training and experience to the job. He began his career with MPD in 1988, and served three years as a patrol officer before he joined the Juvenile Division as a detective. In 1994, he was promoted to corporal and assigned as a background investigator. In 1998, he was promoted to sergeant and named Recruiting Bureau commander. In that assignment, he was promoted to lieutenant in 2002. He was promoted to captain in 2006 and appointed assistant division commander for the Training and Recruiting Division.

He was promoted to major in 2005, serving as commander of Training and Recruiting and then of the Criminal Investigation Division. In 2012, he was named MPD chief of staff. Chief Brown holds a bachelor’s of science degree in criminal justice from Troy University.

“I am truly blessed to have the opportunity to serve the City of Montgomery as the interim police chief,” Chief Brown said. “MPD will continue to move forward with our plans to strengthen the department as we serve and protect our city.”