Dallas police present recruitment push and retention plan as academy classes expand

Jordan Colonga, Deputy Chief over personnel, told the Public Safety Committee on Jan. 12 that the department has set a long-term goal of a "4,000 strong" force and is targeting 350 new hires across seven academy classes as part of 2026 recruiting and retention efforts. "We got 428 applicants processed — 200 more than this time last year," Colonga said during a presentation on recruitment activity and academy classes.

Colonga outlined current academy activity: class 405 recently graduated with 46 recruits; class 409 included applicants admitted via a 36-month employment exemption and class 410 was starting with 49 assigned. He said the department tracked six academic failures in December and described a practice of demoting some recruits into civilian roles so they can attempt the academy again after six months. "The academy is now your job. Take it serious," Colonga said.

Council members pressed for stronger data linking recruitment events to hires. Mayor Pro Tem asked whether staff could break down applicants monthly and trace hires back to specific recruiting events. Colonga said the department plans to implement QR-code tracking at events to capture basic applicant data and follow that cohort through the application and hiring pipeline.

Council and staff also discussed attrition. Colonga said attrition included 27 sworn separations in December (including retirements, administrative separations and terminations) and that the department had planned for 190 total attritions for the year. The Chair asked staff to provide a month-by-month attrition plan and a clear tally of hires-to-date.

The committee praised 9-1-1 performance as well: staff reported a December 9-1-1 service level of 96.95%, the highest in three years, and noted call volume declines that align with reported crime reductions. The Chair requested a follow-up memo or briefing with attrition detail, recruiting-event conversion rates and proposed retention measures.