Dallas has one of the nation's largest police departments, but it lacks the long-term strategic planning to meet its challenges, outside assessors say.
For more than a year, police have been looking for a firm to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the department's staffing. And officials said earlier this month that they're still reviewing proposals.
Meanwhile, Dallas police are looking for ways to implement changes to help address "problem areas" Chief U. Renee Hall and her command staff identified last year.
In December, police had eight law-enforcement experts from across the country assess the department in areas including patrol, internal affairs, media relations, technology and vice investigations.
Officers of all ranks were asked to share their perspectives on the department.
The group provided a 48-page report that Hall said will be a blueprint for the department's leadership.
The report was released to City Council members last week. Following are some highlights.
Management
Assessors recommend that Dallas police seek accreditation to make sure their policies and procedures meet high standards.
They say the department also needs to create a five-year strategic plan based on input from throughout the department. Such a plan would provide consistency and goals that extend beyond the calls of the day, the report says.
Vice
Hall disbanded the vice unit, which investigated prostitution and gambling, late last year after citing "serious issues."
The chief hired an outside firm to evaluate the old vice unit and help shape a new one. But police have kept quiet about the findings of the investigation.
The assessment group also didn't go into specifics about the unit, but it suggested creating a process for tracking and returning money that detectives win in undercover gambling investigations "so that all money is accountable."
The new unit's operating procedures should be in line with best standards, the group said, because some of the old practices put detectives and the department at "great risk" of misconduct allegations and lawsuits.
Hall hasn't said when she plans to revive the vice unit. In a town-hall meeting with the media last week, the chief said she sent officers to Houston to examine how that city's vice unit operates.
Patrol
Hundreds of officers have left the department in recent years, forcing commanders to evaluate how the department is structured and whether its resources are being used properly.
The department transitioned late last year from seven patrol divisions to four. Response times, however, are higher this year than the goals police set for themselves.
The average response time for Priority 1 calls has declined in recent months to 8.35 minutes, but remains higher than the goal of 8 minutes.
The assessment report says commanders who run the divisions have autonomy but lack a single mission. Assessors suggest merging specialized units such as crime reduction and neighborhood policing at the patrol divisions so they can work together to address crime.
Police commanders also should have access to customized reports that track crime trends, drug seizures, complaints and staffing needs so they can identify what their priorities will be, the report says.
Internal affairs
Assessors found that there have been delays in completing internal-affairs investigations because many minor infractions that can be addressed within local bureaus are routed to the department's internal-affairs division.
They suggest training division commanders to consistently and fairly implement discipline for minor policy violations.
Investigators also found that detectives and supervisors assigned to internal affairs don't get formal instruction or consistent field training.
"Several were in their first investigative roles and had no detective instruction or experience; no in-service training program existed for personnel assigned to the unit," the report said.
