[8][10] The New York Times reported that Brown has "earned a national reputation as a progressive leader whose top priority is improving relations and reducing distrust between the police department and the city’s minority residents."

According to published reporting, he also has a reputation as a "tough boss" and has fought with the local police union over his emphasis on less-confrontational strategies and his willingness to fire officers, often publicly.

[15] The killing of Johnson was the first time in United States history a robot was used by police to deliver lethal force against a suspect.

[16] Brown received praise for reforms that were designed to reduce violent confrontations between police officers and the community and increase the department's accountability and transparency.

[22] He took over as acting Superintendent on April 15, after his predecessor Charlie Beck, who held the position on an interim basis after the dismissal of Eddie T. Johnson, stepped down.

[4][10] In 1988, his police academy classmate, U.S Army veteran of the Vietnam War, and former partner Walter Williams was fatally shot in the line of duty.

[28] On June 20, 2010, his 27-year-old son, David Brown Jr., who suffered from bipolar disorder, according to media reports and had only a minor prior record involving a marijuana arrest, shot and killed 23-year-old Jeremy McMillian and 37-year-old Lancaster, Texas police officer Craig Shaw.