Dallas ballot measure to hire 900 new cops could require major cuts if approved

DALLAS - Next Wednesday, the Dallas City Council will be legally required to put four citizen-led charter amendments on the November ballot.

One of the four measures calls for the city to ramp up its police force from the 3,100 officers it has now to 4,000.

"Violent crime can take hours for police response, if any," said Pete Morocco, the Dallas resident who led the petition. "We simply want a bare minimum of three police officers to every 1,000 citizens, but we are a shocking 33 percent below this minimum."

Police chief Eddie Garcia said each year the city aims to hire 250 officers, but also loses 190 officers to attrition.

At that rate, the chief says it would take 15 years to get 4,000 officers.

Morocco says his initiative's intent is for that to happen in about three years.

"Right now, 250 to 300 is what we can absorb," said Garcia at a meeting.

Dallas City Councilwoman Gay Donnell Willis doubts the department can carry out the mandate if it's approved by voters.

"You don't order Dallas police officers off of Amazon. Retired Assistant Dallas Police Chief David Elliston stood right here and said, they are not ordinary people," said Willis.

The amendment would also require a police pay increase to make salaries comparable with other North Texas departments and would require 50 percent of the city's revenue growth to be put into the Dallas Police and Fire pension.

Dallas interim city manager Kim Tolbert said the cost of 900 additional officers with equipment and benefits would equal $175 million.

"You would be looking at drastic, very extreme cuts we would have to make across the board," she said.

The ballot language does not include a date for the department to reach 4,000 officers, but failing to do so could allow a citizen to sue, putting it in a judge's hands.

Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn said the city is already planning to budget for 500 additional officers over the next two years.

"Maybe that HERO amendment holds us accountable," she said.

Councilman Chad West said the measure could have unintended consequences.

"It could seriously impact parks, libraries, street repairs, all things also a priority to constituents, in addition to public safety, which we know is at the top of the list," he said.

The other measures on the ballot include directing police to stop writing tickets or making arrests for having fewer than four ounces of marijuana, allowing people to sue the City of Dallas for failing to follow city ordinances or Texas laws and allowing am annual city survey to determine the city manager's bonus and job status.

Due to the number of signatures submitted, the city council is required by law to vote to put the proposition on the November ballot. 

A vote is scheduled to be held on Wednesday.

The City Council will also look to add charter amendments of its own.