DALLAS (1080 KRLD) - A consultant hired by the City of Dallas has laid out its plan to address staffing at the Dallas Police Department. The city hired KPMG earlier this year.
"It is not based on hyperbole. It is not based on individuals' opinions," says KPMG's Ian McPherson. "It is based on the numbers."
The report says staffing has dropped by ten percent since 2015. KPMG says Dallas Police should shift officers so more people are working at times with the most calls and in areas with the greatest demand.
"If you're in the restaurant business, and all your clients are wanting to get fed in the evening, guess what? You need to be there in the evening. It's no good opening up during the day because you'll go out of business," McPherson says.
KPMG says low unemployment has made the market more competitive to hire police.
The report says Dallas police should also take better advantage of technology to study trends. Chief U. Renee Hall says the department must embrace 21st century technology and also needs to hire more civilians.
"It's how we utilize it and having the individuals to actually analyze that data and give it to us in a more strategic process," she says.
Hall says the department may also hire more civilian "community service" officers who can respond to calls where sworn officer may not be necessary. She says that change may lead to concerns from the public and from police.
"We have to be able to move the needle forward and engage those individuals who are a little resistant and try to pull them along and do whatever we can to make sure they are serviced, but it is the 21st century," Hall says.