By Michael Grabell, The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Police Department wants to hire 60 civilians for administrative support jobs in an effort to put more regular police officers back on the streets.
Interim Police Chief Randy Hampton told the city’s public safety committee Monday that because of budget cuts, many sworn officers have had to fill positions that don’t require law enforcement backgrounds.
The proposal, which needs City Council approval, would use $2 million from sales tax revenue and a federal reimbursement for overtime paid during heightened terrorist threat levels.
The number of civilian employees in the department has dropped from about 700 to about 500 since 1999. And some Dallas officials and residents say the department has been stretched thin, hurting its efforts to fight crime.
“We need to put as many officers on the street as much as possible, and maybe that will help us get the crime problem down,” council member James Fantroy said.
Some of the positions being considered for civilians would be in areas such as information technology, auditing and dispatch.
But Senior Cpl. Glenn White, president of the Dallas Police Association, said the positions being discussed should be filled by officers.
“Obviously, the sworn officers that are in these positions are in there for a reason,” he said. “To start whittling down those resources, not to mention the amount of training they received ... we’re going to continue to have the same problems that we’re having now.”
He said the plan is steering the council away from the issue that the city needs to hire more officers.
Chief Hampton said the changes would free up some money because civilians typically earn less than sworn officers.
The department is scheduled to report back to the public safety committee in February.