Deputy Chief Jordan Colunga briefed the Public Safety Committee on Nov. 10 on Dallas Police Department recruiting and said the department's goal for the year is 350 recruits.

Colunga described a recent New York off-site hiring event that drew 156 applicants; 144 were processed, 49 participated in interview boards and 34 passed. He said 95 applicants remain in the follow-up pipeline and the department is considering another trip to board additional candidates.

On academy class size, Colunga said the department typically had about 38 recruits in its November academy last year and currently has 60 with five pending psychological or background checks. "So we've surpassed that by 22 already," Colunga said.

Council members asked whether housing, pay or other barriers are impeding applicants. Colunga said interest exists, but the challenge is getting qualified applicants through vetting. He said the three-year work-exemption pathway has increased applicants and that background verification is time-consuming but staff are becoming more efficient.

Why it matters: DPD's ability to increase academy throughput affects patrol staffing and crime response across the city. Colunga said the department is coordinating recruitment, processing and backgrounds as a single team to improve conversion rates from applicant to officer.

The committee did not vote on policy; questions focused on sustaining class size, background timeline and whether city programs (housing or recruitment incentives) could assist.