Robert B. Taylor began his police career in the military and later retired from the Los Angeles Police Department as a Commander During his police career, he worked a variety of assignments including patrol, the elite Metropolitan Division, and commanded several police divisions including Rampart, Juvenile, and Hollywood. He received several awards, including the Medal of Valor (1967). After retiring from LAPD, he served with the University of Southern California (USC) Department of Public Safety, overseeing all campus police operations. While there, he was one of the honorees of the International Association of Chiefs of Police Community Policing Award-winning Kid Watch program. He left USC in 2002 and became the Los Angeles County Ombudsman and, in 2006, was asked to assume the role of the Chief Probation Officer for Los Angeles County. He has been associated with the Los Angeles Police Museum since its founding in 1991.