Latest news with #PropositionU
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Porch Pirates Strike Dallas, Residents Seek Solutions
Dallas residents are calling for help after porch pirates stole items delivered to their front door steps. A Dallas resident posted on the Ring Neighbors application this week to highlight a video of a porch pirate stealing an item delivered to their address. In the video, a man wearing black pants and a black shirt can be seen holding multiple other packages while scooping up another from the porch, prompting the poster to ask their neighbors, 'Is this ever going to STOP in East Dallas?' Many neighbors responded to the post to say that this is a common problem throughout Dallas. One response stated that the 'only option is a PO Box or Amazon lockers' since the Dallas Police Department has not made any progress. 'DPD doesn't seem to be too concerned which is ridiculous. These people aren't being held accountable so they won't stop, just getting worse.' Another resident said it used to happen 'a TON' at their townhome, echoing the need for a drop box to help keep packages safe. 'We got a decent sized package drop box off Amazon (about $130) and love it so much!!! It's not the best looking thing but saves all my packages. There is a place the delivery guy drops the package in at, the package drops into the bottom half of the box, then we have a lock that we can access to retrieve the package. SO WORTH IT.' While stealing packages is a serious crime, the Dallas PD's lack of response has seemingly caused even bigger issues across the metroplex in recent weeks. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Olivia Rodriguez was recently stabbed to death in a Dallas apartment. The mother of Rodriguez has alleged that the lack of action by the department contributed to her daughter's death, claiming that 'nobody would listen' when they reported her as missing. Previous legislative action in the city has called for increased police officers, though Dallas has done little to implement these requirements. Proposition U, which voters passed in November, required the city to hire at least 4,000 police officers, a significant increase from the roughly 3,100 officers currently employed. However, the city has allegedly not met these requirements, prompting Dallas HERO, a nonpartisan 501c4 organization dedicated to public safety and government accountability, to demand action or face legal consequences.
Axios
02-04-2025
- Business
- Axios
Dallas City Council to hear updated police academy proposals
The Dallas Police Department needs a new academy to train the hundreds of recruits it's supposed to hire in the next few years — but what that training facility will look like is still up for debate. Why it matters: A state-of-the-art law enforcement training facility is a key component in the city's plans to recruit more police officers. Dallas voters approved a proposition in November that requires the city to employ at least 4,000 officers. There are currently nearly 3,160 officers. The latest: Dallas Hero, the nonprofit behind the ballot initiative, sent a legal notice Monday to the mayor and City Council saying the city has until May 30 to comply with Proposition U. Meanwhile, council members will be briefed Wednesday on modified plans that will put a training center at the Dallas campus of the University of North Texas and a public safety complex elsewhere. Context: The city aims to hire 250 officers this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. So far, the city has hired 100 officers, and 65 officers have retired or left the department. Flashback: Dallas voters passed a bond package last May that included $50 million to pay for building a police academy. The bond money, $20 million in state grants, and $10 million from the Communities Foundation of Texas are tied to the academy's being located at the university. Yes, but: City leaders in February said there's not enough space at UNT-Dallas to fulfill training needs, such as having an outdoor gun range and driving course. Council members told city staff during a March briefing that the goal was to guarantee police recruits would train at the college campus. City staff later sent a memo saying recruits would start in classrooms at UNT-Dallas. What's next: Council will see updated academy plans Wednesday that would keep training for new officers at UNT-Dallas. The proposal includes a physical training center and running track, an outdoor training course, the basic academy with reality-based training, and an in-service training area for current officers. City staff are proposing also building a public safety complex on 60 acres elsewhere that would include a firearms training facility, a driving course for emergency vehicle training, and a Dallas Fire-Rescue teaching area.
CBS News
02-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Dallas residents meet police chief contenders before city manager's final selection
North Texans got a rare glimpse into the minds of the five contenders for the job of Dallas' new police chief Tuesday. This special meet-and-greet event comes days before the city manager makes her final selection. "I just want to ask him what he planned to do a little different on what he planned to bring to the table," said Dallas resident Shaure Robertson. "I asked her a question: What would she do if she were chief in order to build community and build a relationship between the community," said another Dallas citizen. The five candidates for the Dallas Police Chief are: The top topics addressed by residents were recruitment, retention, and violent crime. Each of the candidates also addressed Proposition U, a charter amendment Dallas voters approved last November , which requires the city to maintain a police force of at minimum 4,000 officers. Ultimately, the finalists made a point to answer the key question: "Why are they the best ones for the job." "As a career public servant, my job is not to get a job. My job is to serve," Boetig said. "I've touched every type of policing, and I've seen good policing and bad policing throughout. I can bring all that together," Comeaux said. "I have a deep understanding of this department. I know its strength, its weaknesses," said Igo. "I love that question," said Shead. "Everything that I learned, the foundation of who I am, came from the things that I got in Dallas." "I was a Dallas police officer for 23.5 years. There are some challenges, but I look at them as opportunities," said Arredondo. As for the rest of this process, the five candidates will have meetings with City Manager Kimberly Tolbert Wednesday. Tolbert then plans to make her final decision by next week. Watch Carrollton Police Chief Roberto Arredondo Jr's full, unedited interview below: Watch former FBI assistant director Brian Boetig's full, unedited interview below: Watch Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Agency's Houston Field Division Daniel Comeaux's full unedited interview below: Watch Interim Dallas Police Chief Michael Igo's full, unedited interview below: Watch Dallas Assistant Chief Catrina Shead's full, unedited interview below:
CBS News
01-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Dallas group accuses city of ignoring voter-approved police mandate
Last November, Dallas voters approved a charter amendment requiring the city to maintain a police force of at least 4,000 officers. Now, the group behind Proposition U believes the city has been disregarding the legal mandate since it passed. Dallas HERO Executive Director Damien LeVeck says when Dallas residents voted for Proposition U, public safety was top of mind. The charter amendment has been controversial among some Dallas leaders. It mandates at least 50% of any additional revenue the city receives to be directed to the police and fire pension and higher police salaries. It also forces the city to maintain a minimum police force of 4,000 officers. "Four thousand is not an arbitrary number," LeVeck said. "Actually, when you take the ratio of 4,000 officers to the population of Dallas that puts it on par with most cities in America which is about three officers per 1,000 residents." LeVeck said as of Feb. 7, DPD had 3,169 officers. He said Dallas HERO sent the City of Dallas a notification of a claim for disregarding Proposition U. On X, the group said, "The city has 60 days to make a good-faith effort to comply before facing litigation." "What that means is that we would like to see a good-faith effort on the part of the city that they have the intention of obeying the law," LeVeck said. "The problem is with the exception of one council member, nobody at the city has even acknowledged publicly the existence of Proposition U which was a mandate by the voters." Last month, District 12 Councilmember Cara Mendelsohn offered a resolution for consideration, increasing police hiring goals for this fiscal year from 300 to 325 new officers, and then adding even more in the years to follow. Interim Police Chief Michael Igo said this would be difficult to reach. "Moving the needle to 325, means me moving critical resources with the patrol bureau, with the thought of increased response times and increase in crime overall," he said last month. "We are sensitive to the challenges that the police department has," LeVeck said. "We always said that we felt like it would be possible to do this in 3 to 5 years." He said that would mean a hiring goal of about 400 officers per year. CBS News Texas reached out to the Dallas mayor and city council members for comment tonight but have not heard back.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
City Council once again lowers Dallas police hiring goal to satisfy Prop U requirement
The Brief After nearly two hours of spirited debate on Wednesday, the Dallas City Council passed a nonbinding resolution to beef up recruiting numbers within the Dallas Police Department. But instead of adding 325, they dropped the requirement to 300 next fiscal year. Dallas Interim Police Chief Michael Igo says the new goal of 300 for the next fiscal year is more realistic to accomplish. He and the police union warn that anything higher than that would negatively impact services. Last November, voters passed Proposition U by a narrow margin. It changed the city charter to require DPD to increase its total rank and file to 4,000 officers. Currently, the Dallas Police Department has a little more than 3,100 sworn officers on the payroll. DALLAS - The Dallas City Council once again lowered its expectations over increasing the police force. Last year, voters approved a charter amendment calling for a dramatic increase in officers. Top brass at the Dallas Police Department say a dramatic increase just isn't realistic. What we know After nearly two hours of spirited debate on Wednesday, the Dallas City Council passed a nonbinding resolution to beef up recruiting numbers within the Dallas Police Department. However, instead of adding 325, they dropped the requirement to 300 next fiscal year. The figure is more in line with what Dallas Interim Police Chief Michael Igo says is realistic to accomplish. He and the police union warn anything higher than that would negatively impact services. "Moving the needle to 325 means me moving critical resources out of the patrol bureau with the thought of increased response times and increase in crime overall," he said. That's because patrol resources would need to be redirected toward training recruits. The backstory The department started this fiscal year with a hiring goal of 250, citing challenges to onboard and train rookie officers. "My team is working extremely hard to fill our recruit classes," said Igo. "If it was as simple as snapping my fingers to get the recruits in, I'd do that in a heartbeat." Earlier this month, the Dallas Public Safety Committee already voted to recommend a lower target of 325 new hires from the original proposal of 400 for next fiscal year. Last November, voters passed Proposition U by a narrow margin. It changed the city charter to require DPD to increase its total rank and file up to 4,000 officers. What they're saying Advocates who championed getting Prop U through say the current approach isn't going to cut it. "This is not just a policy recommendation; this is a part of our city charter now," said Damien Leveck, Dallas HERO's executive director. "So to achieve this goal, we must set hiring targets that will get us to 4,000 officers in 3-5 years. A hiring plan that does not do this does not align with the expectation of the voters you serve." At least two council members echoed that sentiment from the horseshoe, voting down the resolution on Wednesday. "The only way we achieve a higher number is by setting a higher goal," said Councilmember Jesse Moreno. "Our hiring and recruitment goals must be aligned with our constituents' priorities." Councilmember Adam Bazaldua argued that adding staff too quickly and going against the advice of police would be irresponsible. "I think it would be a slap in the face to the department for anyone of us to say that we know better than them," he said. By the numbers Currently, the Dallas Police Department has a little more than 3,100 sworn officers on the payroll. The police chief also revealed on Wednesday that overall violent crime is down by 15%. What's next Goals have been set for down the line. The Dallas City Council wants to add 350 new officers next fiscal year and then 400 the year after that. But for right now, the focus remains on the immediate future. The Source Information in this article comes from Wednesday's Dallas City Council meeting and previous FOX 4 reports.
