Dallas considers rehiring retired officers to help with non-emergencies
The Dallas Police Department is considering allowing retired officers to work for the city once again.
The department is dealing with severe staffing shortages, which means long wait times for callers with non-emergency situations.
The department is considering a plan that would allow them to hire 40 retired officers in a civilian capacity. They could perform tasks that would allow sworn officers to spend more time on the streets.
“We have calls that are holding 4, 5, 6 hours when someone stole someone's lawn mower,” said Mike Mata, Dallas Police Association. “I think these individuals they are trained investigators they could easily answer these calls by phone, and if the citizen still wants to see an officer, then an officer can respond to the scene.”
Mata said the plan could also help retirees who are paying as much as $1,600 per month for health insurance by allowing them to be back onto the city's plan.