The Dallas Police Department faced issues of officer retention prior to becoming the scene for the deadliest attack on police officers since 9/11. The Dallas Morning News reported that in 2015, the department was going to see it’s largest turnover in two decades.
Dallas Police Chief, David Brown explained that starting salaries in Dallas were low compared to other Texas cities. When asked about the reason for high attrition rates he said,
“The top three things I hear: pay, pension and benefits.”
Following the attacks on police, Brown was asked what advice he had for protesters.
He said,
“We’re hiring. Get off that protest line and put an application in. We’ll put you in your neighborhood – we will help you resolve some of the problems you are protesting about.”
Jezebel reported applications to the Dallas Police Department have increased by 344 percent since those comments were made. They reported,
“On average, the Dallas police department receives about 11 applications a day. They are now receiving around 40 per day.”
While the police department will still have to determine eligibility for applicants, an increase in their candidate pool is very positive.
Some of the new hopefuls to the Dallas Police Department won’t be old enough to apply for quite some time. Jermar, only 12 years old, was at the peaceful Black Lives Matter protest when Micah Johnson began his murderous rampage.
His family was protected by Dallas police officers. Jermar has since stated that he’d like to be a police officer when he grows up.
Watch that clip here:
View Cheif Brown himself talk about the situation:
Featured Image: Screenshot Via Facebook Video
