HollyMatkinDallas, TX – Dallas Police Department (DPD) Chief Renee Hall ripped millennial culture as being incompatible with police work.
Officer recruitment and retention are at the forefront of Chief Hall’s agenda, as she works to increase the department’s staff from its current 10-year-low.
The U.S.’s ninth-largest city has witnessed a crime increase of 4 percent each year, and is looking to hire 250 new officers this fiscal year, Fox News reported.
At a Monday city council meeting, Chief Hall discussed the challenges the department has faced while trying to appeal to the youngest members of the work force.
“We have nights, weekends and holidays, and those are some of the things that are not necessarily attractive to millennials who want all days off and to be the chief in six months,” she told the councilmembers. “We recognize that is a challenge.”
According to the Dallas Observer, Chief Hall announced an unconventional three-tiered strategy on Monday – a plan she hopes will bring the department to full staff.
The first focus is to recruit officers within the state of Texas, Chief Hall said. Beginning in January, the “Every Officer is a Recruiter” incentive plan will reward veteran officers with time off for every new recruit they bring to the Dallas police academy.
When the recruit successfully completes the academy, the referring officer will receive an additional two or three day vacation.
Chief Hall said that this portion of the plan not only encourages veteran officers to seek out new hires, but it also fosters mentoring relationships.
The DPD will also reconsider factors that currently disqualify applicants from being hired, such as minor criminal offenses or certain forms of prior drug use.
“We recognize that when you’re 17 and you do something silly or stupid, you’re a different person when you’re 24,” Chief Hall told the city council.
Beginning in Jun., 2018, the DPD plans to hire Dallas high school graduates who are interested in the field of law enforcement, and will provide them with tuition reimbursement at El Centro College, Chief Hall said.
When students reach the age of 19 years and six months and complete 45 credit hours, they will be eligible to attend the Dallas police academy.
According to WBAP, Chief Hall is also considering expansion of a down payment assistance program to help new recruits who are buying homes in the city.
Chief Hall also announced plans to initiate a pilot program that will allow take-home cars for veteran officers who live in Dallas, Fox News reported.