TYLER, Texas — In honor of Black History Month, the City of Tyler remembers its first black police officers.
In 1954, Ira Brown and Willie Johnson made history in East Texas as the first black police officers to patrol the streets of Tyler.
A police official stated, "Ira and Willie were out there keeping our city safe and we want to thank them."
30 years after Brown and Johnson made history, many more minorities had the opportunity to become police officers and make a difference in their communities. For example, Detective Reggie Conley, a 36-year retired veteran of the Tyler Police Department, began his career in Tyler in October of 1984. In 2000, he was assigned to the Career Development unit where he oversaw recruiting and hiring procedures.
He is a direct result of the bravery displayed by both Officer Brown and Officer Johnson in the 1950's and has a message for the pioneers of the Tyler Police Dept.
"Thank you Mr. Brown and Mr. Johnson for paving a way for us younger officers that came after you," Conley said.
For more information on the Tyler Police Department, including where to report a crime, pay a ticket, street closures, emergency alerts and more, click here.
