Dickson Police Department Chief Seth Lyles has appointed Major Todd Christian as the department’s new assistant chief.
A 24-year law enforcement veteran, Christian fills the position vacated when Lyles was appointed chief following the retirement of Jeff Lewis in March 2024. Dickson Mayor Don L. Weiss Jr. announced the appointment at the March 3, 2025, Dickson City Council meeting.
“Major Christian has served in a variety of roles with the Dickson Police Department,” Lyles said in announcing the promotion. “While there is no shortage of qualified officers for this position, Todd’s involvement with every division of the department gives him an excellent foundation to serve as assistant chief.”
A Dickson County native and graduate of Dickson County High School, Christian joined the department in August 2000 and has served as a patrolman, corporal, sergeant, patrol lieutenant, captain of the Special Operations Division, major and as an instructor at DPD.
As a major, Christian assists with the day to day operations of the police department. Christian also serves as a leader of the department’s Hostage Negotiator team.
Since September 2021, Christian has served as a network coordinator for the Tennessee Highway Safety Office, where he works with Law Enforcement Liaisons to promote, coordinate and implement THSO’s initiatives and programs.
In January 2023 he was named director of the city’s new Office of Emergency Management with the responsibility of creating and implementing the city’s response plans for natural and man-made disasters.
“I am extremely honored to step into this new role of service to the citizens of Dickson and humbled by Chief Lyles’ faith in me,” Christian said. “Half of my life has been spent as an officer of the Dickson Police Department and I hope to continue to serve and protect alongside my law enforcement brothers and sisters.”
Prior to his law enforcement career, Christian was a full-time firefighter with the Burns Fire Department where he was a shift captain. Since 1990 he has served as a volunteer with the Burns Fire Department and Dickson County Fire and Rescue.
Christian is trained as a traffic crash reconstructionist, serving as one of the department’s leads in crash investigations. He is an instructor in crash investigation and crash reconstruction, teaching classes across Tennessee for the Tennessee Highway Safety Office. He is an investigator with Farmer Collision Analysis and investigates crashes across the state.
He is an adjunct instructor for the Tennessee Highway Safety Office, Southeastern Training Group and the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy in crash investigations, crash reconstruction and emergency vehicle operations.
Christian’s training and certifications include being a state police instructor in various fields, law enforcement aging driver specialist, school threat assessment, Bulletproof Leadership, terrorism incident defensive operations for emergency responders, first line supervisor, National Fire Protection Association classes in forcible entry, rescue and extrication, fire behavior, and ventilation, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency classes in Incident Command System for Expanding Incidents, domestic preparedness, recognizing and identifying hazardous materials, emergency response to terrorism, Federal Emergency Management Agency classes in national response plan, incident command system for law enforcement, radiological emergency management, national incident management system, National Fire Academy training as incident safety officer and recognizing and identifying hazardous materials, dive rescue international public safety diver, Tennessee Association of Rescue Squads trench rescue training, rescue responders basic and advanced rope rescue, International Association of Fire Fighters surviving hazmat incidents, Tennessee state fire school basic firefighting I and II and Interpersonal Effectiveness for Leaders.
Christian is a 2015 graduate of Leadership Dickson County. He and wife Lisa have two daughters, Ella and Lily.
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