Michael "Mike" Brown

Michael “Mike” Brown, PhD Criminology, Law and Society ’19, has more than four decades of experience in public service, law enforcement, safety oversight, and public policy. He was appointed chief of the Alexandria Police Department in January 2017. Prior to his appointment, he held positions at the Office of Impaired Driving and Occupant Protection at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the California Highway Patrol, and California’s Business, Transportation, and Housing Agency.

Brown has a master’s degree in criminal justice from California State University, Los Angeles, and a master’s in management from the California Poly technic State University, Pomona. He currently serves as co-chair of the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s Research Advisory Committee and is a member of the National Police Foundation’s Board of Directors.

Over the years, Brown has been recognized as the law enforcement officer of the year by various organizations. He has lived in Alexandria, Virginia, since 2010 with his wife, Kirsten Knapp, who is a deputy sheriff with the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office. He was recognized as the College of Humanities and Social Sciences’ Distinguished Alumnus for 2020.

Published in the college's magazine, Horizon, spring 2021.