Monroe Coleman served 36 years in the Omaha Police Department and was the city’s first African-American to hold the post of deputy police chief. He was known as an excellent homicide detective and an important asset in the major crimes unit. He commanded respect from those who knew him. Everyone from the young people living in his north Omaha neighborhood to prominent elected city officials admired Deputy Chief Coleman for his high standards and uncompromising ethics. Originally from Louisiana, Coleman’s family moved to Omaha when he was two years of age. He graduated valedictorian from Omaha South High School and studied sociology at Omaha University, now the University of Nebraska Omaha. He served in the armed forces during World War II and retired from the Army Reserve as a colonel. Following his successful, long-term career with the Omaha Police Department, Coleman retired in 1984 at the age of 65. He continued to live in Omaha and passed away at the age of 94 in November of 2013.