Dallas is launching a police recruitment program that provides a $1,000 bonus to new recruits — a plan one local activist claims does not go nearly far enough.
Dallas Police Department Assistant Director Martin Riojas Jr. informed the Dallas City Council at last Wednesday’s meeting that the bonuses will begin October 1 as part of the 2025 fiscal year, according to NBC 5 DFW. The program will provide the bonus to 100 new police officers.
Pete Marocco, the executive director of the nonprofit Dallas HERO, said the recruitment plan does not effectively address the police department’s staffing crisis.
“The $100,000 recruitment bonus program is budget dust, completely unreasonable, [and] an insult to police officers,” he told The Dallas Express. “The City needs to commit real money to recruitment and retention from the military, from prior-service Dallas police who left or went to other departments. Recruit from cities where police are not valued by citizens. Dallas loves our officers, and we should welcome their expertise here.”
Police Chief Eddie Garcia also addressed the staffing shortage at the meeting, noting the City has fewer than 3,100 sworn officers and plans to increase staffing levels to 3,600 by 2033, per NBC 5.
Marocco said the City’s recruitment plan should be more urgent as it struggles to counter crime. He noted the City’s plan of adding 250 officers a year may not even be sufficient to counter the normal annual attrition rate.
“What about the hundreds of DPD officers who quit, now living in Rockwell, Heath, Forney and other suburbs?” he told DX. “The City needs to engage the massive group of officers who left, see why they left, and get many of them back.”
Dallas HERO launched a citizen-led charter amendment aimed at the police shortage that voters will decide on in November, as previously reported by DX. If passed, the amendment would require the City to hire roughly 1,000 police officers and increase their pay to competitive levels. It would also help bolster the police and fire pension system.
Several Dallas City Council members opposed the Dallas HERO amendment, as previously reported by DX. Members introduced last-minute charter amendments, which appeared to be intended to directly counter Dallas HERO’s amendments.
Marocco’s group responded by filing lawsuits in multiple venues, claiming that the last-minute maneuvers were against the law and intended to disenfranchise Dallas voters.