The Dallas City Council has once again reduced its police hiring goal, adjusting expectations despite a voter-approved charter amendment mandating a significant increase in officers.
Background on Prop U and Hiring Challenges
Last November, Dallas voters approved Proposition U, which changed the city charter to require the Dallas Police Department (DPD) to expand its force to 4,000 officers.
However, Interim Police Chief Michael Igo and the police union argue that hiring at an accelerated rate is not feasible without negatively affecting public safety services.
“Moving the needle to 325 means me moving critical resources out of the patrol bureau with the thought of increased response times and an increase in crime overall,” Igo stated.
Instead of hiring 325 officers next fiscal year, as originally proposed, the City Council voted to reduce the target to 300, aligning it with Igo’s recommendations.
Debate Over Hiring Target
The decision followed two hours of debate, with some council members arguing that the city must meet the voter mandate by increasing recruitment efforts.
Dallas HERO Executive Director Damien Leveck, a major advocate for Prop U, said the city’s approach falls short:
“This is not just a policy recommendation; this is part of our city charter now. To achieve this goal, we must set hiring targets that will get us to 4,000 officers in 3-5 years.”
Councilmember Jesse Moreno agreed, voting against the lower hiring goal:
“The only way we achieve a higher number is by setting a higher goal. Our hiring and recruitment goals must be aligned with our constituents’ priorities.”
However, Councilmember Adam Bazaldua pushed back, saying it would be irresponsible to ignore the advice of law enforcement professionals.
“I think it would be a slap in the face to the department for any one of us to say that we know better than them,” Bazaldua said.
Current Police Force and Future Plans
DPD currently has just over 3,100 sworn officers and has struggled to recruit new hires. The department originally set a hiring target of 250 officers this fiscal year, citing training and onboarding challenges.
Despite the debate, the City Council has outlined future hiring goals:
- 350 officers in the next fiscal year
- 400 officers the year after that
For now, the focus remains on meeting the revised goal of 300 new officers in the upcoming fiscal year while working toward the long-term Prop U mandate.
