Dallas residents learned on Monday that the Dallas Police Department’s sworn‑officer count fell to 3,427 as of Oct. 27, according to a memorandum released by the department. The figure places the force 573 officers below the 4,000‑officer minimum approved by voters in Proposition U, a benchmark intended to ensure adequate public‑safety staffing.
The memorandum, prepared by Assistant Director of Human Resources April L. Idleburg, shows the department reported 3,447 officers in its previous year‑end update, meaning the latest count represents a decline of 20 officers. The drop occurs despite the department hiring 378 sworn officers in fiscal year 2025‑2026, surpassing its target of 350 new hires.
Recruiting activity has slowed sharply. From Oct. 1 through Oct. 27, only 82 applicants were processed, a 64.35% decline from the 230 applicants processed during the same period a year earlier. The memo breaks down the current pipeline: 49 applicants are in background checks, 20 have reached final testing, 22 are awaiting command review, and 22 have been assigned to an academy class slated to begin on Nov. 4.
Academy enrollment remains robust, with 290 recruits still in training as of Oct. 27. In the previous fiscal year, six academy classes produced 317 graduates who entered patrol operations.
The memorandum also notes ten sworn‑officer departures for the new fiscal year, though the document’s fiscal‑year labeling is inconsistent, making it unclear whether this figure reflects a verified trend. By contrast, the city’s prior year‑end report recorded 211 departures in fiscal 2025‑2026, up from 176 the year before.
Proposition U, approved by Dallas voters in Nov. 2024, established the 4,000‑officer minimum and added provisions for public‑safety financing and police compensation, but it does not set a specific deadline for reaching the target.
City Council’s Public Safety Committee will consider the staffing memorandum as Item G at its meeting on Nov. 9. The agenda also includes briefings on the UNT Dallas law‑enforcement training center (Item D), violent‑crime reduction strategies (Item A), and the department’s Deep Ellum Halloween response (Item F). The meeting begins at 1 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Dallas City Hall.
What’s next: Council members will review the staffing shortfall and discuss steps to accelerate recruitment and retention ahead of the next fiscal reporting period. Residents can watch the meeting live on the City of Dallas website or attend in person for updates on how the department plans to meet the Proposition U benchmark.
Sources: wbap.com
