Members of Dallas Police Academy Class 408 take the oath after completing the academy on July 16, 2026 | Image by Dallas Police Department

Dallas Police Academy Class 408 completed its training Thursday as officer applications and the department’s academy pipeline continued to grow, the Dallas Police Department announced.

“Dallas’ newest officers have completed the Academy and will soon truly begin their careers,” the department said. “Please join us in congratulating Class 408 on their achievement!”

When DPD launched Class 408 in September 2025, the city described it as the second-largest academy class ever assembled by the department. The class began with 77 trainees, including 20 women and 10 former service members. DPD’s graduation announcement did not state the final number of graduates.

“I am proud of the department’s efforts to attract recruits that represent a cross section of the community,” City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert said when the class began. “This is an important step toward meeting our police hiring goals and honoring public safety as one of our residents’ top priorities.”

The graduates will next enter 24 weeks of field training in one of DPD’s seven patrol divisions under experienced field training officers, according to the department’s training academy.

Applications and academy pipeline grow

Police officer applications rose from 706 to 891 between October 1, 2025, and May 21, compared with the same period one year earlier, according to DPD’s June hiring presentation. The raw totals represent 185 additional applicants, or an increase of about 26%.

DPD also reported 225 hires through May 21, with 98 applicants in background checks, 34 in final psychological and medical testing and 26 approved for the next academy class.

The same snapshot listed five academy classes that began with 299 hires, with 257 recruits still assigned to those classes. Class 413 began June 3, and DPD scheduled two additional classes to start July 29 and September 23 as the department works toward a fiscal-year hiring target of 350 officers.

Comeaux credits culture and recruiting push

As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Police Chief Daniel Comeaux has credited part of DPD’s recruiting momentum to rebranding the department and building a culture that people want to join and remain part of.

“People want to play for this team now and they want to stay on this team,” Comeaux said during a recent Let’s Talk Local interview.

The chief said a three-day recruiting event drew 337 applicants, something he said had not happened in Dallas before.

Higher pay and broader eligibility

Dallas raised police officer starting pay from $75,397 to $81,232 under the fiscal year 2025-26 budget.

The City Council also approved a new entry route in June 2025 for applicants who are at least 21 years old, hold a high school diploma or GED and have 36 months of full-time, consecutive work experience. The route allows qualified applicants without college credits to enter the process while preserving DPD’s background, polygraph, psychological, medical and academy requirements.

Appearance policies also change

Comeaux has also updated DPD’s appearance policies. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, a June 30 policy allowed approved baseball caps, certain hand and finger tattoos and one small nose stud while in uniform. The changes followed earlier policies allowing approved visible tattoos, neatly groomed beards and cowboy hats.

The latest appearance changes came after the May 21 application snapshot, so DPD has not established how they affected the reported increase. The changes did not alter the department’s applicant screening or academy requirements.

DPD listed 3,376 sworn officers in June. The department’s “4,000 Strong” hiring goal aligns with Proposition U, the voter-approved charter amendment requiring Dallas to reach and maintain at least 4,000 full-time sworn officers, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.

“Look, we’re not done,” Comeaux said. “We’re not done.”