Dallas police officers are leaving in mass numbers. More than 40 quit this month.
One officer told WFAA that he “going to go to a city that respects officers…….I’m going to a city that will appreciate my skill set.”
The officer has worked for the Dallas Police Department for a decade.
Many say low morale is plaguing the department under the leadership of Chief David Brown.
“The big joke is we talk about — how many years do you have left in the department, it’s like a prison sentence,” stated the officer, who asked to remain anonymous.
The chief addressed the issue Monday at a Dallas City Council public safety meeting.
Chief Brown said that the officers are not being retained because of low wages.
Some nearby cities, including Fort Worth, are paying officers $10,000-to-15,000 more a year.
The Dallas Police Department’s starting pay is about $45,000.
Sources say so many officers are leaving the department that the personnel office can’t process the paperwork quickly enough, and they are telling officers they have to wait to quit.