Public Safety (Don't Defund Dallas)

 

 

Historically, Dallas has struggled with police staffing shortages, with the department losing officers faster than it could hire them in the mid-2010s due to pension uncertainties and competition from better-paying suburban departments. By 2025, the DPD has around 3,100 sworn officers, far below the 3,500 to 4,000 some officials and residents argue is necessary for a city of 1.3 million people. For years, city leaders and police officials couldn’t agree on a target number, with studies like a 2019 audit suggesting better resource management rather than just more hires, while others, like the Dallas Police Association, pushed for a ratio of three officers per 1,000 residents—equating to about 4,000 officers.

 

 

The controversy intensified with the 2024 passage of Proposition U, backed by the group Dallas HERO, which legally requires the city to staff the DPD at 4,000 officers (roughly three per 1,000 residents). Supporters, including some residents and conservative advocates, argue this is essential to address violent crime and slow response times, pointing to past incidents like the 2016 officer ambush and ongoing concerns about public safety. Critics, including some City Council members and former officials, warn that this mandate could cost up to $175 million annually, forcing drastic budget cuts to services like parks, libraries, and infrastructure, especially since new taxes weren’t part of the plan. They also question whether such a high target is realistic, given recruitment and retention challenges nationwide.

 

City leadership has pushed back. In February 2025, interim Police Chief Michael Igo and other officials told the City Council that hiring 300 more officers is feasible, but aiming for 4,000 could strain resources, disrupt current staffing, and cost millions more than the city can sustainably manage. Just a week after the charter amendment passed, the Council updated a 1988 ordinance that had recommended the three-per-1,000 ratio, removing its urgency—a move Dallas HERO called “vindictive” and a dodge of voter intent, threatening lawsuits if the mandate isn’t met. I fully support holding the city accountable.

 

Public sentiment is split. Some residents and groups on platforms like X accuse the city of lowering expectations (e.g., reducing hiring goals from 400 to 325 and then on 2-25-2025 Dallas City Council cut police hires from 250 to 200, ignoring Prop U’s 4,000-officer mandate—backed by 172,590 voters. With no plan to hit the target, they’re defying the will of the people and failing to prioritize safety. Meanwhile, crime has dropped in Dallas over the past three years—including a 27% decrease in murders in 2024—raising questions about whether massive staffing increases are even necessary, though business robberies have ticked up, fueling the debate further.

 

In short, the controversy hinges on clashing visions: a voter-driven push for a larger police force versus city officials’ concerns about practicality and cost, all layered over decades of staffing struggles and evolving safety needs.At the end of the day I believe in law enforcement and support providing the funding necessary to maintain a healthy 3 per 1000 ratio as intended in the 1988 ordinance.