\n Members of Dallas Police Academy Class 408 take the oath after completing the academy on July 16, 2026 | Image by Dallas Police Department <\/p>\n
Dallas Police Academy Class 408 completed its training Thursday as officer applications and the department\u2019s academy pipeline continued to grow, the Dallas Police Department announced<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cDallas\u2019 newest officers have completed the Academy and will soon truly begin their careers,\u201d the department said. \u201cPlease join us in congratulating Class 408 on their achievement!\u201d<\/p>\n Dallas\u2019 newest officers have completed the Academy and will soon truly begin their careers. Please join us in congratulating Class 408 on their achievement! pic.twitter.com\/lE21FpINuO<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Dallas Police Dept (@DallasPD) July 16, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n When DPD launched Class 408 in September 2025, the city described<\/a> 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\u2019s graduation announcement did not state the final number of graduates.<\/p>\n \u201cI am proud of the department\u2019s efforts to attract recruits that represent a cross section of the community,\u201d City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert said when the class began. \u201cThis is an important step toward meeting our police hiring goals and honoring public safety as one of our residents\u2019 top priorities.\u201d<\/p>\n The graduates will next enter 24 weeks of field training in one of DPD\u2019s seven patrol divisions under experienced field training officers, according to the department\u2019s training academy<\/a>.<\/p>\n Applications and academy pipeline grow<\/p>\n 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\u2019s June hiring presentation<\/a>. The raw totals represent 185 additional applicants, or an increase of about 26%.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Comeaux credits culture and recruiting push<\/p>\n As previously reported<\/a> by The Dallas Express, Police Chief Daniel Comeaux has credited part of DPD\u2019s recruiting momentum to rebranding the department and building a culture that people want to join and remain part of.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople want to play for this team now and they want to stay on this team,\u201d Comeaux said during a recent Let\u2019s Talk Local <\/a>interview.<\/p>\n The chief said a three-day recruiting event drew 337 applicants, something he said had not happened in Dallas before.<\/p>\n Higher pay and broader eligibility<\/p>\n Dallas raised police officer starting pay from $75,397 to $81,232 under the fiscal year 2025-26 budget<\/a>.<\/p>\n 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<\/a> of full-time, consecutive work experience. The route allows qualified applicants without college credits to enter the process while preserving DPD\u2019s background, polygraph, psychological, medical and academy requirements.<\/p>\n Appearance policies also change<\/p>\n Comeaux has also updated DPD\u2019s appearance policies. As previously reported<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s applicant screening or academy requirements.<\/p>\n DPD listed 3,376 sworn officers in June. The department\u2019s \u201c4,000 Strong\u201d 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<\/a> by The Dallas Express.<\/p>\n \u201cLook, we\u2019re not done,\u201d Comeaux said. \u201cWe\u2019re not done.\u201d<\/p>\n \n