Beginning on Monday, top brass at the Dallas Police Department will have to re-interview in order to hang on to their positions.
This is part of a top-to-bottom review of the department that will include demotions for several members of the current command staff, said new Police Chief Renee Hall.
A department that is short about 300 officers from a year ago and a department that continues to lose officers faster than it can hire and train new officers.
In an effort to put more officers on the streets of Dallas to help combat a spike in violent crime this year, Chief Hall announced one week ago that all DPD assistant and deputy chiefs will have to re-interview for their jobs.
“Those are positions they can interview for,” said Chief Hall last Monday. “They each know what that criteria is going to be so they can interview for those positions that are available and the best candidates will end up my new command staff.”
Currently, there are about nine assistant chiefs at DPD, according to Hall. The chief said she will bring that number down to two or three assistant chiefs.
There are currently 14 or 15 deputy chiefs, she said. That number will be decreased to six or seven deputy chiefs.
Those who currently hold top brass positions and are not chosen after the interview process will not lose their jobs, but will likely be demoted to previous ranks.
The Dallas Police Association, one of the unions representing officers, has praised the shake-up, saying there are just too many cooks in the kitchen.
“I’m very happy that the chief is coming in and figuring out: you know what? IF this is a position that is ineffective, then I don’t need it and I need to hold not just the troops, the rank and file, accountable for their work and their position, I need to hold command staff accountable for their work and position or lack of work in their position,” said Mike Mata, President of DPA.
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Low morale, low pay compared to other area departments and ongoing concern about the pension fund have led officers to leave the department in droves.
“It’s pretty much all hands on deck,” said Mata. “That’s where we’re at because of the reduction in manpower, the increase in crime, crime has shot up and response times are shooting up. We need everyone out there and so those individuals who were maybe stuck in an office or doing office work that maybe that position isn’t necessarily needed or can be done without, it needs to be changed.”
Chief Hall plans to announce her new command staff as early as Nov. 1.
