Chief David Brown is the Faculty Chair for the Law Enforcement Technology program at Rio Salado College. Prior to joining the college he served as Deputy City Manager for the City of Tempe where he was responsible for the police, fire, human resources and community services departments. He has thirty-two years of local government experience, twenty-six in law enforcement with over 14 of those years as chief.

Prior to serving as Deputy City Manager, Chief Brown served as Police Chief in Tempe from February 1988 through September 1994. The department of approximately 400 employees with an annual budget of over 23 million dollars went through implementation of continuous improvement with an emphasis on community policing during this period. Chief Brown started his career with the Tempe Police Department as a police officer in September 1968. He served in all areas of the departments working his way up to the rank of major. In 1980 he successfully applied for the position as police chief in Yuma, where he served for 8 years before coming back to Tempe as police chief in 1998.

Chief Brown is a graduate of the Northwestern Traffic Institute's Long Course in Police Administration with an emphasis in training. He is also a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Law Enforcement Executive Development program. Chief Brown has served as a member of the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, Arizona Criminal Intelligence Systems Board and chairman of the Select Council on Progressive Enforcement. He is a lifetime member of the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police, serving as its president for two terms. Chief Brown is a past member of International City/County Managers Association (ICMA) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) where he served as SACOP representative from Arizona for two years.

Chief Brown is an instructor/faculty for Western International University, University of Louisville's "Southern Police Institute", Sam Houston State University's "Management Institute of Texas" and Wichita State University's "Leadership Development Seminars". He is also a guest lecturer for the private sector in the areas of implementation of change, corporate universities and continuous improvement. Chief Brown has also worked as an associate consultant with J. W. Murphy & Associates.

Chief Brown is an active community member. He has served as president of the Yuma United Way Board of Directors, Yuma Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club of Tempe and Prehab of Arizona's Board of Directors. He has also served on the boards for Yuma Safehouse, Tempe Community Council, Tempe Diplomats, Caballeros de Yuma, Civilian Advisory Committee at Yuma Marine Corps Air Station and the Visitors and Hospitality Association.

Chief Brown received his Associate in Arts degree from Mesa Community College in Administration of Justice. He received a Bachelor's of Science degree in Criminal Justice Summa Cum Laude from Arizona State University. He was selected to Arizona State University's College of Programs Hall of Fame in 1991. Chief Brown received his Masters of Arts in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix in 1997. He and his wife Suzanne have lived in Arizona since 1968.