Thread: Dallas PD

I was wondering if there are any Dallas PD officers out there. I am moving back to Texas this Sept. and plan on testing with them asap. Was wondering about the hiring process, academy, day to life with the dept, etc. I'd really appreciate any info you guys can give about Dallas PD (whether you work there or not).

all the best,

Brandon

Thanks for the reply. I've heard a lot of both good and bad about Dallas. The biggest complaint I've heard is about the pay but I think that's about to change since they've got a new mayor. I like the fact that their testing process is fast and efficient. The thought of being on a list for year waiting for someone to call isn't very appealing. The recruiter that has emailed me has also been more helpful and friendly than any of the other depts.

Bweird,

I haven't checked this thing as often as I used to. I'm currently attending the Dallas Police Academy...Class #271. I didn't see any replies to your original question, but I noticed you replied to someone else.

Anyway, the hiring process was extremely fast compared to most departments. I started the process the end of last April and began the academy the end of last September.

The academy is not what I had expected. I expected a more military structered academy, but this is geared more towards academics...at least the firs four months. The first four months is preparation to take the TCLEOSE (state certification) exam. My class has 33 of which 18 failed. The test is no joke and if you're not prepared, you fail. Luckily I was one of the 15 who passed.

If you didn't know, the academy is 8 months long. The one good side to that is if you are prior service, you are eligible to collect the G.I. Bill which recently went up to $800...and believe me it comes in handy.

Sure the pay isn't that great, but I'm making over $10,000 more a year compared to the agency I worked for in Missouri. Plus, I don't have to deal with the extreme cold and snow like I did up there.

There is alot of talk about the moral and pay, but most of the in-service officer's I talk with say they like the job, they just need more man-power on the streets to relieve the work load they have.

Personally, I would rather say I work for the Dallas P.D. than one of the smaller agencies who make more money. More room for experience and advancement with Dallas P.D.

I know I made the right decision coming here. Good luck with your decision and feel free to ask other questions if you have any.

Stay Safe!!!

farrside,

Do the officers ride with partners or alone? Or do you have a choice. Also what happens to the 18 people that failed the test? do they get another chance to take it, or are they thrown out of the academy?

It depends on where you work in the city. Some areas require a two-man element just for officer safety and some only require one. It all depends on where you work.

No, the 18 who failed get to take it a second and even a third if need be. 9 re-took it today and said the study groups we've been having definitely helped, they'll find out the resutls tomorrow. The other 9 will take it Wednesday.

If something happens and someone fails the third they will be recycled to the next starting class. That happend to the class that graduated a couple of weeks ago. They had 4 fail after attending the academy for nearly 8 months only to be recycled and have to start from scratch for another 8 months...thanks but no thanks.

Stay Safe!!!

No offense to farrside by anything I will say!

bweird, please consider some other North Texas departments should you return to Texas. Out of the 15 major metroplex departments, Dallas (the largest, and with by far most officers killed in the line of duty) is ranked 13th in pay. You can go to other departments that have a great deal of activity and make over $40,000.00/yr to start and top out within about 3 years mid $50's. There is also a ton of opportunity for overtime jobs making $25/hr and up, many through the departments - meaning no additional uniform expense. Working for another metroplex department, the reputation for DPD is not always that great either. Also, there are a ton of interdepartmental problems (and many of them carried out in the local media. Just some things to consider in your search.

Again, no offense to farrside, and I wish you continued luck in your academy. Be safe

MsKippie,
Since you seem to be knowlegable about departments in the DFW metro area, do you mind giving any opinions you may have on the Arlington Police Department (good experience, off duty opportunites, training, department moral, etc)? I am scheduled to test with them on March 22. They are supposed to have an academy beginning on May 20, which is the academy I will be testing for. Everything I have been told about them is very positive and every time I have any contact with them it seems to reinforce my "good vibes" about the department. They seem to be very professional, have very high standards, good pay, many employer offered benifits, etc. If you could give me any information, impressions, or rumors you may have experienced through direct contact with the department or its officers, I would greatly appreciate it. Also, what is your impression of living in the Arlington area? I have been told it is very suitable for raising a young family and that there are many nice neighborhoods and suburbs in the Arlington/Ft. Worth area. Do you concur?

Mskippie,

No hard feelings about your post. You said nothing that offended me. I've heard many times over the last year about Dallas P.D. it's not the choice for many, but I feel it was the right choice for me.

As far as living there, no way. It was suggested by my BI to find some place in Arlington to live. I followed her advice and am happy with the area we chose. However, I don't like living in apartments and anticipate finding someplace else.

If I had a BA I would consider Arlington, but 8 years in the Army and countless deployments didn't afford me an opportunity to take college. What little college I have (72 hours) met the minimum qualifications (45 hours) for Dallas.

Any place you decide gets you back in Texas, and that has to be better than where you are now.

Stay Safe!!!

rockyraider,
I would most definitely concur with Arlington having a great PD. In fact, I would personally rate it out of all the metroplex depts. in the top 2. One of the only that requires a BA, pays well, huge tax base (Tx Rangers Baseball, Six Flags, Dining, major highway routes, good population, etc.) The Regional Police Academy is located in Arlington where pretty much EVERYTHING is held as far as training.

The department is respected by other officers, and I have never had a bad experience with them at all. The only thing I can recall in a "negative" light was the officer getting killed last year during SWAT training, but Arlington has a pretty positive rapport with the media. What could have made the dept. appear in a bad light was handled as tastefully as the local media is able!

With all the things to do in the city there will be ample opportunity for off-duty jobs.

Arlington is also a city of new and affordable housing. There is a great deal of new construction coming out of the city and the builders seem to be targeting new families. You can find new construction homes in nice neighborhoods all over the place.

I would definitely take the test and let me know how it goes!

And thanks to farrside!

WOW.. sounds like detroit in a way..........d@mn...........

Originally posted by MsKippie
No offense to farrside by anything I will say!

bweird, please consider some other North Texas departments should you return to Texas. Out of the 15 major metroplex departments, Dallas (the largest, and with by far most officers killed in the line of duty) is ranked 13th in pay. You can go to other departments that have a great deal of activity and make over $40,000.00/yr to start and top out within about 3 years mid $50's. There is also a ton of opportunity for overtime jobs making $25/hr and up, many through the departments - meaning no additional uniform expense. Working for another metroplex department, the reputation for DPD is not always that great either. Also, there are a ton of interdepartmental problems (and many of them carried out in the local media. Just some things to consider in your search.

Again, no offense to farrside, and I wish you continued luck in your academy. Be safe

Thanks for all the replies, I've found them very helpful. I was considering Arlington for awhile, but I am about to have LASIK done, and you are not allowed to apply to Arlington within a year of having it. I simpley cannot wait this long so I've ruled them out.
The new mayor of Dallas said she would like to introduce a 15% pay increase for Dallas PD over a three year period. This would bring DallasPD up to the same level of pay as most of the other depts in the metroplex(what politicians say and actually do is another thing).
The other depts I am considering are Denton, Carrollton,Plano and Ft. Worth. Can't wait to get back over there and start testing!

After having my background put on hold, due to a back child support issue, I have finally cleared up it up and am rolling in the process again for Dallas PD. I hope they do not make me re-test again. I did all the original testing in August. Hey Farrside what do you think? They got almost all the way through my BI and ran into the child support problem. I got a letter from the court saying I am clear. I just hope too much time has passed by for them to have to start all over again. Anyway, I have all postive interaction with Dallas PD. I think it will be a great place to work with lots of potential for growth. I am also waiting to hear back to see if I am accepted to DPS academy in June. Hopefully by summer I will find myself in the Dallas or DPS academy. Good Luck!

bweird,

One word: P-L-A-N-O!

Three words: Anywhere BUT Dallas!!!

You want to treat this PD like the plague right now. In time it may improve, but too many negative things are happening at DPD.

Check out this web site: www.undergroundcop.com.
It's run by DPD officers outside the recruiting office.

There are a lot of other good paying, exciting PD's in north texas to work for. Ft. Worth, Arlington, Plano, Irving...just do your homework.

Good Luck!!

and again i say detroit...... detroit and dallas departments correlate so much that its scary!

Originally posted by pilotmep
Three words: Anywhere BUT Dallas!!!

You want to treat this PD like the plague right now. In time it may improve, but too many negative things are happening at DPD.

Check out this web site: www.undergroundcop.com.
It's run by DPD officers outside the recruiting office.

There are a lot of other good paying, exciting PD's in north texas to work for. Ft. Worth, Arlington, Plano, Irving...just do your homework.

Good Luck!!