Dallas is officially launching its search to replace fired Police Chief Terrell Bolton. “We hope to attract, first of all, someone who has extensive professional experience in police work, ” said Assistant City Manager Charles Daniels”and someone who has experience in crime fighting because Dallas has the No. 1 crime rate” among cities with populations of more than 1 million, reports the Dallas Morning News. “We’re looking for someone who can get that down,” he said.
The chief will oversee an annual budget of about $290 million and supervise about 2,900 uniformed officers and more than 500 civilians. The Morning News says that whoever gets the job will face serious challenges, from dealing with the fallout of the fake-drugs scandal to lingering questions about the department’s hiring and recruiting practices. Daniels said the department’s troubles might make it more difficult to attract candidates. “People read the papers and look at the TV, and they know that there have been some issues,” he said. “But on the other hand, I think individuals who have the extensive experience would also see this as a challenge, to come in and try to calm things down and also to try to get that crime rate down.”
In early November, City Manager Ted Benavides selected Georgia-based Slavin Management Consultants out of a field of 12 competing firms to lead the city’s search for a police chief.
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