Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax today (Friday, June 5) introduced a set of 11 “action steps” that the Dallas Police Department will be implementing as part of the launch of a new program called “One Dallas: R.E.A.L. Change.”
Declaring that Dallas is “one of the first major cities to produce policing transformations,” a press release from the city said these action steps are “focused on accelerating an effort to foster and build trust among myriad Dallas communities and DPD. The reforms include specific and concrete measures that will alter long-time policing policies in Dallas.”
Broadnax outlined the One Dallas: R.E.A.L. Change program to Dallas City Council on Thursday night, June 4, before introducing the program publicly today.
The press releases explains that R.E.A.L. is acronym for “responsible, equitable, accountable and legitimate efforts to build and maintain a more perfect union among all of Dallas.”
The R.E.A.L. Change platform “embraces the Six Pillars of 21st Century Policing,” the email continues. Those are: 1. Building Trust and Legitimacy; 2. Policy and Oversight; 3. Technology and Social Media; 4. Community Policing and Crime Reduction; 5. Training and Education, and 6. Officer Wellness and Safety.
Broadnax outlined changes DPD has already made toward those goals. But he added, “We have definitely made progress, but we acknowledge it’s not enough. R.E.A.L. change mandates more innovations, both short-term and long-term, that will create safer neighborhoods and modify police protocols and policies.”
The 11 action steps will be implemented in three phases, with six “immediate items” listed that will be enacted with the next 90 days. The first changed the roll call training bulletin banning chokeholds in place since 2004 to a general order as of June 3, and a new “Duty to Intervene” policy, was implemented Thursday night, June 4, by Chief Renee Hall. By June 12, the department will implement a new “Warning before Shooting” policy.
Department officials are required to review all use-of-force policies “for needed changes or revisions and publish them on the DallasPolice.net website” by Aug. 28. And by June 30, the department is required to have begun monthly reporting of officer contact data on all traffic stops and citations, and to have created and implemented a body and dashcam policy to release critical incident videos.
The two short term steps — to be implemented within the 90-120 day period — require the department to, by Oct. 1, expand the Right Care Program to include additional teams including behavior health call diversion, chronic consumer services and dedicated training, and to, by Nov. 27, implement a “robust early warning system that will assist the department and supervisors in identifying officers with three or more incidents that may be cause for concern, so we can adequately respond by providing additional training and support” for those officers.
Long terms steps including implementing by January 2021 a program “anchored in procedural justice to build and enhance community relationships; by May 2021 conducting a “comprehensive cultural assessment” of the department, and also by May 21 to work with the Community Police Oversight Board to review General Orders and hear recommended changes for consideration.
Broadnax added that city staff is “developing One Dallas key initiatives for other critical systemic ways to address economic and social equity investments paramount to our community’s success. … My team and I are committed to moving from conversations to action, recognizing that current programs, approaches and capabilities are unlikely to do enough to create sustained, equitable and economic growth necessary to level the playing field for all residents of this great city.”
