(Special to The Dallas Examiner) – The Dallas Police Department has begun Academy Class 408, one of the largest academy classes in the department’s history. With 77 diverse officer trainees – including two rehires – this is the second-largest class assembled by Dallas Police, surpassed only by Class 368 in 2019, with 82 officer trainees.

The class marked another notable accomplishment for the department with the second most female recruits included in a Dallas Police Academy class. Of the 77 trainees, 57 are male and 20 are female. 

“I am proud of the department’s efforts to attract recruits that represent a cross section of the community,” said Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert. “This is an important step toward meeting our police hiring goals and honoring public safety as one of our residents’ top priorities.”

The class also included a group of individuals with military backgrounds, including six former U.S. Marines and four former members of the U.S. Army. Their service and experience bring valuable skills, discipline and leadership qualities that will further strengthen the department as it continues to serve the community with honor and dedication.

In addition to this class, the department is celebrating hiring progress in the current 2024-2025 fiscal year. To date, 329 applicants in total have been hired, including eight officers who were rehired after serving with other agencies.

General requirements before applying include:

• A United States citizen.
• Be at least 21 years old and no older than 44 years old.
  • There are some military and college exemptions.
• Have a high school diploma or GED.
• A minimum of three years of consecutive work experience.
• Must not have any outstanding traffic warrants or pending citations, and/or have been convicted of a crime as an adult.
• Must not have used any illegal street drugs (other than marijuana) within the past five years.
• Cannot have been involved in or expressed hate group affiliations.

Afterward, candidates undergo a comprehensive background check, physical fitness test, medical screening and psychological evaluation. Then, after a final evaluation by a board, individuals can begin training for 10 months.

The DPD leadership expressed confidence in the incoming class, emphasizing that these men and women represent the next generation of officers committed to protecting and serving the city.

“Our team exceeded our hiring goal to close out this fiscal year because people around the country, and around the world want to come to work for the most proactive police department in America,” said Dallas Police Chief Daniel C. Comeaux. “We’re making Dallas the safest big city and these recruits want to help make that happen.”