In a recent meeting, the Dallas City Council once again lowered its goal for increasing the number of officers in the Dallas Police Department. The council passed a resolution to recruit 300 new officers next fiscal year, down from the initial requirement of 325. This decision was made after a debate and consideration of realistic goals by Interim Police Chief Michael Igo and the police union. They warned that recruiting more than 300 officers would negatively impact services due to the need to redirect patrol resources towards training recruits.
The council’s decision comes after voters approved Prop U, which called for increasing the total number of officers in the department to 4,000. Advocates of Prop U expressed disappointment in the council’s decision to lower recruitment goals, stating that the city must set higher targets to achieve the voter-approved mandate. Despite this, council members argued that adding staff too quickly would be irresponsible and should be done in line with the advice of the police department.
Currently, the Dallas Police Department has over 3,100 sworn officers, and overall violent crime is down by 15%. The council plans to gradually increase recruitment goals, aiming to add 350 new officers next fiscal year and 400 the following year. The focus remains on the immediate future, with a goal of realistic and sustainable growth in the police force.
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