Millennials and great expectations add up to recruiting challenges for the Dallas police

by WorldTribune Staff, December 13, 2017

Dallas police and fire departments are finding it difficult to recruit “job-hopping” millennials who want too much, too fast.

The Dallas Police Department is facing a 4 percent increase in violent crime during the past year and needs to hire 250 officers.

“We have nights, weekends and holidays – not attractive to millennials who want all days off and to be the chief in six months,” Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall said at a recent city council meeting. “We recognize that is a challenge.”

Both the police and fire departments in Dallas are stepping up recruitment efforts amid personnel shortages.

According to a report by Fox4 News in Dallas, Hall will begin a program next month that would give four to six days off for officers who recruit someone who is hired and graduates from the academy.

The police department is also considering a change to its policy of automatically disqualifying applicants for minor drug use.

“We recognize that when you’re 17 and you do something silly or stupid, you’re a different person when you’re 24,” Hall said.

The Dallas Police Department said it needs to hire 250 officers this fiscal year.

The Dallas Fire Department, meanwhile, has adopted an open-enrollment policy.

“The other challenge” with millennials “is that they’re job hopping every five years,” Dallas Fire Chief David Coatney said.

Coatney told the city council he’s working to shorten his department’s long application process.

“We’ve changed our entire hiring process,” he said. “Now, we have an open hiring period. People can apply at any time.”


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