At Swearing-In, New Dallas Police Chief Promises To Recruit More Officers

“Look, listen and learn” is the new police Chief Daniel Comeaux’s plan for his first days as acting leader of the Dallas Police Department DPD. Though he took the oath on April 23, the official swear-in ceremony, presented by city manager Kimberly Bizor-Tolbert, was held on May 6 for a crowd of civil servants.

“I want to understand what Dallas needs, what needs to be done, and then how we should do it,” Comeaux said during his acceptance speech. “I will work shoulder to shoulder with all of the officers, but not just the officers, with the community, with all of my partners, the local, federal, and state law enforcement, the fire department, the chief… I’m committed to lead with integrity, honesty and respect. I can assure you we will be a team.”

Comeaux was announced as the 31st chief of Dallas police on April 11, following a nationwide search. The New Orleans native has more than thirty years of experience in law enforcement, last serving as special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Houston Field Division before his move to the Big D.

The Dallas transplant is entering the force at a tumultuous time, when retention and recruitment remain primary concerns in maintaining the city’s reputation as one of the safest major cities in the country.

“I need every single person that works for the Dallas Police Department, and not that just works for the Dallas Police Department, but that lives in Dallas to become an effective recruiter for us,” he said. “We have to hire more officers. I can tell you every day since I’ve been on the job, I have talked to the recruiters. I have talked to that section. We’re coming up with plans that not only are we going to hire, but we’re going to retain them, we’re going to keep them here.”

The comment comes in light of the passage of Proposition U in the November election, which requires Dallas to hire 900 new officers, bringing the total count to 4,000, or face legal action. The proposition does not explicitly state a deadline, but the organization behind the charter, HERO Dallas, recommends that the city achieve the quota in three to five years if it wants to avoid a lawsuit.

Recruitment has been a pressure point for DPD since the last chief, Eddie Garcia, packed up for a job in Austin. The interim chief, Michael Igo, who was passed up for the permanent position, grappled with the city council recruitment requirements set to slowly get closer to 4,000.

The city continuously lowered recruitment benchmarks after Igo described a yearly goal of 400 new officers as “unrealistic,” finally settling on 300 freshly sworn-in officers by the end of 2025.

“Moving the needle to 325 means me moving critical resources out of the patrol bureau with the thought of increased response times and increase in crime overall,” Igo said to city council in February.

Igo announced his resignation from DPD after not being appointed the next chief.

Comeaux seems certain in his abilities to improve the longevity of DPD officers.

“Our culture is going to be second to none, and our morale is going to be so high, we’re going to keep [our officers] right where they are,” he said.

Aside from the challenge of improving the force’s total size, the new top cop is also entering a city with a decreasing crime rate year over year for four consecutive years, and the expectation of keeping it going.

“After I thought about [the decreasing crime rate], I said, I might be crazy for taking this job,” said Comeaux. “It’s a lot of pressure. But the goal is to continue to make it fulfilled for six, seven years in a row. We’re going to do it.”

New Dallas Fire-Rescue Chief Justin Ball

The swearing-in was a joint ceremony also honoring new Dallas Fire-Rescue Chief Justin Ball. Chief Ball joined DFR in 1997 as a first responder and has risen through the ranks, and served as the interim fire chief since June of 2024 before being selected as the official chief.

“Every rank, every station, every position matters,” said Ball. “Your voices will be heard in planning rooms, policy committees, and at the table [where] we see leadership. I’ll defend your rights, recognize your achievements, make sure our department’s culture, our family, lives up to the values we preach. I’ll be decisive, I’ll give clear direction, and I will take responsibility for my decisions. I promise leadership that’s accountable.”

Ball inherits a highly ranked fire department with quick response times and ample city support. But DFR also faces issues with understaffing and attrition.

“For us to take into account attrition and come in on the number, we have to hire a lot more,” Ball said to the Observer while serving as the interim chief in December. “So it appears that we have more. But, you know, it takes a long time for them to actually take effect by coming into the field.”

Bizor Tolbert has been a strong ally of DFR and a champion for increasing the city’s public safety. The DFR vacancy opened after she named former DFR Chief Dominique Artis as Dallas’s first Chief of Public Safety.

“Keeping Dallas as one of the safest largest city in the country remains one of our most important priorities… And we know that with you, we can do this together,” said Bizor Tolbert. “As we continue to evolve into a globally recognized city, one that is thriving and inclusive for all, it will continue to be important that we ensure that our police and our fire services are helping us to realize that goal.”