John Layton joined the Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Department in 1936 and made policework his career. He made Lieutenant in 1945 and was promoted to Captain in 1951. In 1956 Layton was put in charge of the First Precinct and he eventually served as Chief of Police in Washington from December 1964 to July 1969. As chief, he was responsible for instituting the first Police Cadet Program, expanding the Community Relations Unit, and creating the Public Information Division to coordinate information given to the public. He also worked to improve race relations in the city and promoted the first African-American officer to Captain. After his retirement as Police Chief, Layton became Special Assistant to the Chief of the Office of Protocol in the State Department.
United States