By Conrad Dudderar
Staff Writer
Yukon has a new deputy police chief, and he’s a familiar face to many residents and members of the police force.
John Brown, a 17-year veteran of the Yukon Police Department, was named to the position Nov. 9. Yukon Police Chief John Corn announced the selection after a nationwide search process.
Brown has progressed through all the ranks since joining Yukon Police in October 2004 as a patrol officer. For the last three years, he held the rank of major after being a captain, lieutenant and sergeant.
“I enjoy being in a leadership position and it’s a privilege to serve others as a leader,” Brown said. “As you move up the ranks, your responsibilities become greater, and you have more of an impact.
“I see the Yukon Police Department continuing to grow in staffing and service. In the last 10 years, we’ve drastically improved on technology. As the city grows, so do our types of service. I look forward to building upon and always improving our relationship with the community.”
Brown wants to enhance community policing efforts through programs like the Citizens Police Academy, Neighborhood Watch, National Night Out, and the YPD Bicycle Patrol.
The new deputy chief cited the department’s efforts responding to Internet- and technology-based crimes, which have proliferated over the past 15 years.
A 2014 graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va., Brown has served as a YPD drug recognition expert and public information officer. He previously was a member of the bicycle patrol and honor guard.
Brown has more than 19 years of law enforcement experience, two of them as a park ranger with the state wildlife department before joining the YPD. He has relished his time in Yukon and sees many more productive years ahead.
“The officers and staff at the Yukon Police Department are part of this community,” Brown said. “They work here, they live here, they shop here, and their kids go to school here.
“Yukon, as a community, has grown. So has our commitment to this community. As a department, we want to make sure we protect our community from all types of crime.”
Brown looks forward to implementation of police body camera technology for on-duty YPD officers.
“This project shows a level of transparency with our department and the community that we serve,” he said.
IN HIS NEW ROLE
As a new member of the YPD administration, Brown had to step down from the Fraternal Order of Police. He believes his experience as a law enforcement officer and union member will prove beneficial in his new position.
“I see my role as executing Chief Corn’s goals and intent,” Brown said. “And making sure his ideas are carried out.
“Having come from the union, I understand what their goals and objectives are. The administration and union need to work together to strive to meet those goals. In the end, it has to be ‘what’s best for the organization’.”
The deputy chief looks at Corn as a mentor.
“I feel like I’ve followed the ladder of his career,” Brown said. “I’ve taken the same steps up that ladder.”
Corn has been with the YPD since 1989 and has been chief nearly 10 years.
Corn pointed to Brown’s history with Yukon Police.
“John has been exposed to many facets of the department through his career – either being a member or in charge of specialized units,” he said.
“For many agencies, attendance at the FBI National Academy is almost a pre-requisite for their chief’s position.”
Yukon’s police chief is well pleased to have a new deputy on board.
“I’m glad to move forward and have John in this position,” Corn said. “It will definitely help take some of the workload off me.
“The biggest advantage is there’s no real ‘learning curve’. John put together our electronic policy implementation and updates. That makes him very knowledgeable about what the policy language says, and that’s a benefit and a strength.”
Brown is a 21-year U.S. military veteran, with 14 years in the Air Force and nine years in the Army National Guard. He is public affairs officer for a one-star general at the 95th Training Division at Fort Sill.
Brown is a graduate of the U.S. Army’s Officer Candidate School, Ordnance Basic Officer Leadership Course and Logistics Captain’s Career Course, and the Department of Defense’s Public Affairs Communications Strategy Course.
Brown has a graduate certificate in criminal justice education from the University of Virginia, master’s degree in criminal justice management from the University of Central Oklahoma and bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from UCO.
He and wife Erin have three children.
