Top Dallas law enforcement officials are trying to tighten the reigns on new, inexperienced police officers while saving face in the midst of national attention for at least one case of misconduct. As the Dallas Morning News reports, the hiring of 1,200 officers in recent years may be playing a role in the influx of problem-cops.
The biggest story as of late out of the Dallas P.D. involves at least three newer officers who chased a subject against a superior’s orders and then beat him mercilessly in view of squad car cameras. One officer, who was still on probation has since been fired, while the other two are subjects of Internal Affairs investigations and several more have been put on desk duty.
According to Fox 4 News, the now-fired officer and one other beat the suspect with batons and fists. At least three other cops are said to have made contact with him while he was on the ground.
Many state that part of the problem is inexperienced officers on the streets without supervision in crucial hours when crime peaks. Late nights typically see these newer cops on their own, reporting to superiors who aren’t on the scene and may, in fact, be at the department, far removed from the action.
Now, DPD is increasing patrol duty command by four times. There will be 100 Lieutenants placed on patrol duty and 400 non-patrol sergeants will start patrol duty. This key shift, it’s believed, will give the late-night shifts the extra supervision they need.
Just this past week, in cases unrelated to the beating case, Dallas Chief Brown fired five officers for disciplinary cases, a few for DUI, one for inappropriate touching of a female in his patrol car, and several accused of lying to Internal Affairs.
Anytime a hiring boom takes place within a police department, it’s expected that the younger officers will make mistakes and some won’t make it past their probationary stage. Not everyone is cut out for police work. But, those who take advantage of their position of power to abuse and mistreat the public aren’t always just the rookies.
Although it’s unfortunate, they’re cases like these that lead people to distrust the police. If mistreated by the police, most people believe they are out of luck, that the courts won’t believe them. This is when having a powerful advocate on your side can be extremely helpful.
Whether you feel you were mistreated or you simply need help in defending yourself against criminal charges—we can help. Your constitutional rights are important and seeing that they are protected at every stage of the criminal justice process is our job.
Contact our attorneys today for a free criminal case evaluation on any Texas criminal charge.
