DALLAS (AP) – The interim Dallas police chief says the number of officers has fallen to its lowest level in about 10 years while the department also is falling short of its goal for new hires.
Chief David Pughes told a city council committee on Monday that the number of officers on the force is 3,077. That’s down from nearly 3,700 officers some six years ago.
He says the department will be short-staffed as the summer approaches and crime generally increases.
The Dallas Morning News reports that concerns over the failing Dallas Police and Fire Pension System have led many officers to retire at a rate faster than the department can hire and train new ones.
Pughes says he’s considering hiring many of those retired officers to temporarily bolster patrol numbers.
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