Dallas Police Plans $40,000 Incentive to Keep Officers on the Job

The Dallas Police Department has struggled over the past few years to retain officers and achieve proper staffing levels. That’s why he’s working on a new incentive to allow officers to stay on the job for two more years.

DPD calls it the 30-year retention incentive. An officer who has served 30 years will be eligible for a $40,000 payment.

For many years, the city has been trying to achieve a staffing level of 3,600–4,000 officers. This was stated by the president of the Dallas Police Association, Mike Mata. Observer in January, the department is short of 400–500 officers. Efforts are being made to hire more people and train them faster, but Mata said the department should also focus on employee retention.

“If we could put in place a policy that would help keep these senior officers three to five years longer than they planned, that would help us catch up in this five-year plan in hiring,” Mata said. You must stop the bleeding. Encouragement can help with this.

On average, officers stay in the DPD for 28 years. The department is trying to increase that number to 30. Any full-time employee who has served under oath in the department for at least 28 years can apply for the promotion. Officers with 28 or more years of service will be required to serve an additional two years as sworn full-time officers to be eligible for the $40,000 lump sum payment.

You must stop the bleeding. – Mike Mata, Dallas Police Association

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During these two years, officers will have to work 3556 hours, which is equivalent to 444 working days. If they do not reach that number of hours by the end of two years, even if their vacation has been approved, they will have to continue working until they have accumulated. The only exception is if unavoidable or extraordinary circumstances have prevented the officer from completing the watch. Even so, the decision to grant the incentive, despite these circumstances, will remain with Chief of Police Eddie Garcia.

To qualify for an award, a staff member must not be on paid administrative leave pending an investigation or fitness assessment for more than 10 days in a two-year period. An employee who is on paid administrative leave of more than 10 days can still receive an incentive by remaining at work for a full 24 months. This does not include days spent on administrative leave.

To maintain eligibility, officers may also not be subject to any formal disciplinary action, such as dismissal, demotion, or suspension from duty for more than five days. If an officer is disciplined but the disciplinary action is reduced or lifted, the chief of police may reinstate eligibility for the program.

The city’s Public Safety Committee will discuss this incentive at its meeting today, with a view to implementing it later this month.