“Go Pro in Life.”
~ Tyrone J. Dennis
Let me tell you my story.
Community advocate. Public Speaker. Entrepreneur. Leader. I’m Tyrone J. Dennis. I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. I graduated from Marquette High School in 1997 after being kicked out of school for 43 days at the end of my senior year. I helped my friend in a fight and as a result, I lost a few Division 1 scholarship offers. Subsequently, I received a basketball scholarship to a community college -Lake Land College in Mattoon, Illinois. From there, I graduated with my associates degree in Criminal Justice in 1999. Then transferred to the University of North Alabama in Florence, Alabama where I played basketball for two years. An opportunity presented itself to receive more money to pay for school so I ran cross country in my 5th year. I graduated in 2002 with my Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice & Sociology from UNA. I then went to play pro basketball in Colombia, South America for two and a half years. I also played on the And 1 Tour, and in a minor pro league - the WBA (World Basketball Association).
In 2004 I moved to Atlanta, Georgia to become an Atlanta Police Officer. I swore-in to uphold my duties in 2005. I was assigned to Zone 5/Old 4th Ward/ Boulevard area for 6 1/2 years. I then got promoted to detective and I was a detective for 9 1/2 years, assigned to the APD Criminal Intelligence/Gang Unit/ATF Task Force. In 2015, my partner and I were voted the Investigators/Detectives of the Year for our entire department. I won the Community Service Award for my gang outreach in 2016 and in 2019 I was given The Atlanta Police Commendation award for the creation of my Clippers & Cops program. I was also given a proclamation by Atlanta City Council for my creation of Clippers and Cops.
I’m certified as a gang expert and have testified in countless gang cases & court proceedings on the state and federal level. I worked in many branches of law enforcement and I served proudly from entry level on up the ranks. In 2020, I retired as an officer after spending more than 16 years in law enforcement. I now serve as the Director of School Safety & Security for the Rockwood School District in the suburbs of St. Louis. I am responsible for creating security, safety plans as well as security training for staff. My motto is be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of my story is that it’s going to continue to evolve. I am a man about community and have a desire to make an impact and a difference. My goal is to connect with others, be the connection for others and build.