James Lee “Skip” Dunlap

Skip was born October 31, 1950 in Carroll County Georgia. He attended Robert A. Taft High School and graduated during 1969. He also attended Central State University from 1969 to 1971. On March 4, 1971, during the Vietnam War, Skip was drafted into the United States Army. He was assigned to the Military Police and his posts included Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, Fort Gordon in Georgia, and Fort Sill in Oklahoma. Sergeant Dunlap was honorably discharged on March 2, 1973 and remained in the United States Army Reserves.Skip then went to work as a 2nd Class Operator at Hilton Davis Chemicals on Langdon Farm Road. He then took a position with the United States Post Office during 1973 working as a mail handler.
Skip joined the Cincinnati Police Division as a Police Recruit on September 22, 1974. He was promoted to Police Officer on February 2, 1975, issued Badge 697, and assigned to District 1 (310 Lincoln Park Drive). One year later Officer Dunlap was rotated to District 5 (1012 Ludlow Avenue). On December 5, 1976, due to financial issues at City Hall, he and 123 other Police Officers were laid off. More than fourteen months later, he was recalled from layoff and reassigned to District 1. On April 24, 1983, a fire hydrant exploded on Armory Avenue, and the resulting sudden flood knocked down and nearly drowned a 14-year-old boy. Skip was close by, ran to the scene, and performed CPR on the boy, saving his life. On December 31, 1989, Officer Dunlap transferred to District 4 (4150 Reading Road). On June 1, 1997, he transferred to the Telephone Crime Reporting Unit. Ten months later, he returned to District 5.
Even in his later years, he was encouraged by his supervisors to be a field training officer and sought out by his co-workers for his knowledge and experience. Skip retired March 17, 2002 with 39 letters of appreciation and/or commendation; including four from Cincinnati Police Chiefs and one each from a Laurel Homes Community Council President, Cincinnati Public Schools Security Director, Cincinnati Fire Chief, and Lincoln Heights Police Chief.Skip went on to serve his community as one of the finest Community Relations Monitors in an experimental program conducted by the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission. During 2006, he joined the security force protecting Environmental Protection Agency buildings in and around Cincinnati. He finally retired during 2016 having spent almost his entire adult life serving our country, government, and community. He is survived by: his wife of 40 years, Beverly Dunlap; son James Lee Dunlap II (wife Gina ). Mother, Mary Lee Wooten; three brothers (Calvin Wooten, William “Greg” Wooten $ Robert Vinson), five sisters (Robbie Dunlap, Diane Dunlap, Teresa Wooten, Ruby Norman & Karen Perdue). Three grandchildren, a host of nieces and nephews as well as his Brothers in Blue.