Deputy Chief Tom Lawrence joined the Dallas Police Department 26 years ago.

December 17th marks his one year anniversary as Deputy Chief over the Northeast Patrol Division, headquartered here in Lake Highlands.

LH Today caught up with Chief Lawrence on his year anniversary to visit with him about his tenure with the DPD, his thoughts on the force and our community, and his plans for the future.



LHT: Where are you from originally?

Lawrence: I’m a native of Dallas. My mother’s family is from Pleasant Grove, but I actually grew up in Oak Cliff. I attended Sunset High School but ended up finishing high school in Grand Prairie. I’m a Grand Prairie Gopher, but it wasn’t long after high school that we moved right back to Oak Cliff.

LHT: Tell us about your career prior to becoming a police officer:

Lawrence: Well, there wasn’t much too it. I’ve been on the force in Dallas for most of my career. I spent 5 years in the US Navy from 1977-1982. I was one of those catch-all guys. By title I was an Ops Specialist and did a lot of different things.

LHT: What is our best memory from your service in the Navy?

Lawrence: The 3 years I spent in Puerto Rico, no doubt about it. That was great. I enjoyed being down there and have considered moving back when I retire.

LHT: You have a pretty diverse academic background. Tell us about it.

Lawrence: I’ve basically been in school my whole life. I was a mechanical engineering major, but when I got out of the Navy I joined the DPD and switched to over to computer science. Probably sounds odd, but that’s what interested me at the time. I only planned on being with the department for a few years after I joined in 1983, but things changed pretty quick.

My wife at the time didn’t want me to stay on the force after I finished school, but I love this job and always have.

I ended up with a degree in organizational leadership. I was one of those guys who took 190 hours to get a bachelors degree. I love learning new things and love going to school. I’ll eventually go back and get my masters - hopefully I can start that pretty soon.

LHT: Tell us about your family.

Lawrence: I have two daughters, 19 and 24 years old. The oldest was married in October and the youngest is at SFA studying to be a nurse. They're great kids.

LHT: You’ve worked all over Dallas - is this your first time to work in the Northeast division?

Lawrence: Yes, this is my first opportunity to work in Lake Highlands or Northeast Dallas, an it’s been a good year. I came out of the Field Services Division. I was in charge of Swat, K-9, Mounted officers, Helicopter, Love Field/Bomb Units, Homeland Security… basically everything that isn’t patrol.

LHT: Tell us your thoughts on Chief Kunkle, the impact he’s had on the department and his recent retirement announcement.

Lawrence: Chief Kunkle certainly had a positive impact. He grew the department by 600 officers and managed to achieve crime reductions five straight years. Those are impressive accomplishments. I also believe he did a great deal to professionalize and elevate the command staff of the department.