The Dallas police force is finally seeing growth, but not fast enough for voters
DALLAS — Voters in Dallas this month passed Proposition U, an amendment to the city's charter requiring it to maintain a police force of at least 4,000 officers, more than it's ever had before.
That would be a tough feat for the city, despite recent recruiting success.
With about 200 officers leaving the department each year, it has worked hard just to keep the force from shrinking, and 2024 marks the first in several years it's actually ending a fiscal calendar with more officers than it began.
It wrapped up the 2023-2024 year at the end of September with 3,121. That's 63 more than last year. At a graduation ceremony Friday, the department's 32 newest officers received their badges.
"I made it through, so I'm pretty proud of myself," said Officer Darian Brisco.
"There are no words to explain it. So many emotions," said Officer Alma Alejandra.
After 10 months of training, they're finally ready to hit the streets.
"That's been our challenge to put more officers on the street," said Deputy Chief Israel Herrera, who runs the academy. "It makes for a safer environment, but it also allows our fellow brothers and sisters to get days off."
At its peak in 2011, the department had nearly 3700 sworn officers.
Then, in 2015, a pension crisis triggered a mass exodus of veteran officers.
The following year, a deadly ambush highlighted the dangers of the job.
And in the span of just three years, 2015 – 2018, 10% of the force was gone.
Hopes of turning those numbers around were dashed two years later when COVID-19 swept the country. Suddenly, recruiters had nowhere to go, and the academy was forced to limit the number and sizes of its classes.
In October, though, Herrera introduced CBS News Texas to its newest class.
"Today, we are starting an Academy class with 62 new recruits. We haven't seen academy classes that size since 2019," he said.
Next week, he'll welcome another, the sixth so far this year. Herrera credits the growth to changes in recruitment strategy.
In 2016, the starting annual salary for a Dallas police officer was about $45,000. Today, it's just over $70,000.
This year, Dallas officers were allowed to start sporting tattoos and beards.
"You don't have to shy away because you have tattoos or facial hair," said Brisco, who'll now be able to wear short sleeves on the job despite the tattoo on his forearm.
"Before you had to wear long sleeves or a cover to cover up those tattoos. And we get pretty hot here in Texas, and specifically in the Dallas area. These 100, 102 degree days are not favorable to people with long sleeves, and so, yea, I do believe it has made a difference," said Herrera. "We're making small incremental improvements along the way and I think it's starting to add up."