Hoping to bring the Dallas Police Department up to federal standards for investigating officer misconduct, the chairman of the Community Police Oversight Board said Tuesday he plans to start talks with police Chief Eddie García about how they can work together to ensure officers operate under professional best practices.
“We need to understand where the chief is in regard to bringing the department up to speed,” Jesuorobo Enobakhare, the board’s chairman, said before its monthly meeting.
The board also approved a motion by a unanimous vote to direct the oversight office to review U.S. Department of Justice recommendations and present potential changes to DPD leaders.
“We have to do something because we’re charged with doing something,” board member Jonathan Maples said. “At the end of the day, the police is never going to police the police. They’re just not going to do certain things without pressure. If we don’t take action, we’re just going to go around and around in a circle. So at the end of the day, let’s do something.”
The push for reform stems from mounting pressure on the department from local activists, civil rights groups and the department’s former chief, U. Reneé Hall.
Before Tuesday’s board meeting, Enobakhare told The Dallas Morning News that Dallas may be ahead of some standards recommended by the U.S. Department of Justice. But there also may be examples of the chief acknowledging some things were missed, he said.
For example, Dallas policies require officers to wear body cameras while they are on patrol, he said. The News reported last year that García, who became police chief in 2021, planned to require all officers to wear body cameras for off-duty jobs. Enobakhare said the board needs more clarification on the policy.
“That’s something that we need to look into,” Enobakhare said. “Right now, we need to get to an understanding of where we are at.”
Dallas police spokesperson Kristin Lowman declined to comment for this story.
In August, the board announced plans to propose several changes to the department’s internal investigative practices to bring them in line with standards set by the Department of Justice.
The proposed reforms were a response to the first installment of The News’ Black & Blue series, which revealed that at least eight of the department’s internal investigative practices lag behind federal guidelines.
The investigation found that Dallas’ internal affairs officers are not required to record interviews or have formal investigative experience. The News also revealed that the department does not have a written procedure for when to consult with prosecutors to determine whether an accused officer should be investigated for criminal wrongdoing. The internal affairs unit investigates alleged misconduct by officers but does not have the ability to recommend criminal charges against them.
At the meeting in August, board vice chairman Jose Rivas said The News’ findings inspired him to draft new policies for internal investigations. He said he hoped the board would begin reviewing them this month.
John Fullinwider, co-founder of Mothers Against Police Brutality, strongly encouraged board members on Tuesday night to push for larger reforms.
“The department really is in need of a complete overhaul,” he said. Fullinwider also urged the board to consider recommendations that would speed up internal affairs investigations.
Some board members said some federal standards made sense. One requirement would demand that investigators record interviews with witnesses and police officers.
“Having a hard time seeing the downside to that,” board member David Kitner said.
Other board members asked that the board explore the federal guidelines and determine whether the department is following those guidelines.
“What are the DOJ guidelines, which ones are they following, which ones are they not following … then we can make some decisions about recommendations,” board member Brandon Friedman said.
Board member Deatra Faye Wadsworth said she planned to discuss the recommendations with City Council members.
“We’ve got to have a larger presence,” she said. “We just don’t have the power.”
Staff writers Miles Moffeit and Kelli Smith contributed to this report.
