By admin 
DALLAS – The city of Dallas is considering the qualifications to become one Dallas police officer.
But some Dallas City Council Members oppose the idea.
To now one Dallas police officerdo you need college credits, experience in the U.S. Armed Forces, or a TCOLE peace officer license.
Under the new proposal, no experience would be required.
For eight years the Dallas Police Department has difficulty recruiting and retaining police officers.
The latest strategy recommended by the city’s Civil Service Board is to let high school graduates or those with a GED apply for jobs without requiring college credits or experience.
“We are competing for limited talent with limited interest in a sworn position,” said Jarred Davis of the city’s civil service. “It’s like selling: the more you put into the funnel, the better results you’ll get in hiring quality candidates on the back end.”
Currently, there are several ways to become a police officer in Dallas:
- one can transfer from another department
- must have three years of service in the armed forces
- have 45-60 credits, depending on age, with a 2.0 GPA
“To me, it’s not what you study, it’s do you grow up? Do you have different experiences? You have to show up, get your grades, work with the instructor,” Councilor Gay Donnell-Willis said.
Although applicants can transfer from another department without credits, Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn said their experience with that department would be their qualification.
“I’m just going to say it. I don’t like this proposal at all,” she said. “I don’t want us to lower our standards for police officers.
While Austin and San Antonio only require a high school diploma or GED, cities like Arlington and Plano require a bachelor’s degree.
“This is what the civil service board has supported, and we think this would be a step in the right direction to expand our recruiting reach,” Davis said.
Mendelsohn disagreed.
“We’re not talking about a job where someone off the street works as a file clerk,” she said. “We give someone a gun and the ability to kill other people. I am not in favor of lowering it.”
The Public Safety Committee said there are still too many questions to bring the proposal to the full City Council for a vote. Another briefing will probably take place in December.