From headline-makers to quiet fixes, Dallas police made defining choices on politics, priorities and people in 2025. Here’s what stood out:
Recruiting push
Action: Voter-approved charter amendments require the department to reach 4,000 officers, sharpening the department’s focus on recruiting and training. As of November, the force remained more than 600 officers short of that target, according to department records reviewed by The Dallas Morning News.
Outcome: Recent academy classes have been larger than in recent years, and the department hit the City Council’s goal of hiring more than 300 recruits last fiscal year.
Bet on technology
Breaking News
Action: Police already use a growing suite of technology, from facial recognition to a citywide network of license plate-reading cameras. How the department uses the tools has drawn questions from the Community Police Oversight Board and residents.
Outcome: The department has signaled an interest in expanding its use of technology, seeking a free pilot for gunshot-detection technology that has so far underperformed and exploring a drone program that could send aircraft to some calls ahead of officers. It’s touted as a way to help shorten 911 response times.
Dallas Police Officer Alyssa Flores calls out times for applicants running a 300 meter run during a recruitment event at Jack Evans Dallas Police Headquarters on Thursday, July 10, 2025.
Angela Piazza / Staff Photographer
Domestic violence
Action: Police launched “Operation Safe Families” in October, aiming to arrest people wanted on outstanding domestic violence warrants or those accused of actively committing domestic violence offenses. The department planned to keep the focus year-round.
Outcome: Police reported 539 arrests during the month but withheld case details to protect victims’ privacy. It also cited partnerships with Genesis Women’s Shelter and The Family Place to connect victims with services and support.
Dallas police Chief Daniel Comeaux speaks during a news conference on Nov. 4, 2025, at the Jack Evans Police Headquarters in Dallas, to share the results of Operation Safe Families. Dallas police Lt. Ashley Lee, from left, Jan Langbein, CEO at Genesis Women’s Shelter and Support, and Tiffany Tate, CEO at The Family Place, listen.
Chitose Suzuki / Staff Photographer
Immigration debate
Action: Dallas drew national attention after Chief Daniel Comeaux said he had declined a $25 million offer tied to a Department of Homeland Security program that would have authorized officers to carry out limited immigration enforcement.
Outcome: Mayor Eric Johnson soon convened a joint meeting of City Council committees. The proposal was roundly rejected at that meeting, drawing praise from some council members and immigrant advocates.
Eyes on downtown
Action: The department increased its downtown police presence and is planning a new downtown substation as part of a public-safety initiative led by Downtown Dallas Inc., the nonprofit pushing quality-of-life efforts in the area.
Outcome: As of November, the central business district had 130 assigned officers, up from about 90 at the start of the year, according to department records reviewed by The News. The substation site has not yet been announced.
Dallas police who are part of a Downtown task force talk with DART police officers at the DART Akard Station on Sunday, May 18, 2025, in Dallas.
Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer
What’s ahead in 2026
Police are stepping up recruiting, technology and response-time efforts ahead of a World Cup expected to bring large crowds to the region.