Very recently, at the close of the duty day on February 26, 2015, Senior Corporal Artealous C. Christian, #2581, became the second longest-serving officer in the history of the Dallas Police Department.

In an interview conducted by the DPD Public Information to commemorate Black History Month in February 2015, and subsequently posted on the YouTube website at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCjs30DLbgU SC Christian reflected on his lengthy career. He stated that when he joined the department, he planned to stay at least one year. He wound up initially serving two years in the Patrol Bureau before moving to a two-year stint as a recruiter in the Personnel Division. He recalled recruiting heavily at historically black colleges in the Southwest area of the US to increase the diversity of the department. He estimated that he was responsible for hiring 100 new officers during his time in that role. In 1973 he transferred to the Traffic Division and in the following year, became the first African American officer in the Motorcycle Unit. At the 20-year point of his service, he received his promotion to the rank of Senior Corporal on May 1, 1988, when the first group of officers were promoted into that newly-created rank.

Senior Corporal Christian fondly recalls that he has shaken hands with each of the last eight men who have been president, beginning with President Richard Nixon.

Sadly Senior Corporal Christian died of natural causes on June 19th. He will be buried today at Dallas Fort Worth national cemetery.

-Submitted by Lieutenant Kenneth E. Seguin

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