�The History of the Dallas Police Department’s Museum

It is hard to imagine what life was like in Dallas in the 1850s. From the first Marshall keeping the peace, to public safety as

we know it today, things have changed. The Official Dallas Police Museum is going to amaze and inform you and it’s

coming soon.

With more than 165 years of keeping the peace, a wealth of Dallas law enforcement practices, customs, materials and

information has been passed down. But only a handful of men and women have dedicated themselves to preserving and

amassing the glimpses of the Department’s history they’ve found in boxes stored away, under the eaves or in the dank

basements of municipal buildings.

In 1968, Patrolman Jerry North, unearthed decaying historical records of which he said, “A person could sit for hours going

through these record and actually find himself right back in those days.” North was among the first on record to be an

avid proponent of a Dallas Police Museum, working for eight years to collect, protect and refurbish records, trophies and

memorabilia of the Department’s long history.

In January of 1976, the Dozier Committee was formed by then Retired Officer Dennis Dozier to create a small DPD history

display in a space at 2014 Main Street, which then served as Police Headquarters. When the City reallocated the intended

display space, the records, materials and artifacts gathered by the committee were taken to the Dallas Public Library for

storage.

Not again until 2001, when plans were underway to relocate Headquarters to 1400 South Lamar Street, did Senior

Corporal Jess Lucio ask Chief Terrell Bolton to consider reserving space for the Department museum. Chief Bolton

supported the idea, setting aside 4,000 square feet of the new Headquarters for displays and archival storage, additionally

assigning Lucio to the project. The final step toward the museum’s reality came on April 23, 2003 when the Dallas City

Council passed Resolution #081307 designating space in the Jack Evans Police Headquarters building for the Dallas Police

Department Museum.

Lucio set about acquisition and installation of a Department helicopter, which is on permanent loan from the City. It is

now suspended from the ceiling of the two-story glass Lobby at Headquarters. Lucio and Senior Corporal Roderick Janich www.dallaspolicemuseum.org

have joined forces, bringing Department vehicles of all vintages, makes and models to the Headquarter’s Lobby,

completing the Museum’s Phase I. In addition, they have retrieved archived materials from Public Library storage and

continue to sort, index and store historic badges, weapons, uniforms, photographs and videotaped stories bringing the

Department’s history to life.

Today, Chief David O. Brown announced the Museum’s Phase II, which will provide interactive displays, films, photographs

and highlights of the Department and its officers, celebrating the brave men and women who have served and sacrificed

for the community and its people, bringing the Dallas Police Department Museum to life!

Written by Staff Writer Pamela King

www.dallaspolicemuseum.org