Police News
New Dallas police chief reassigns 20 officers from vice
Dallas' new Police Chief Renee Hall has launched an overhaul of the Dallas Police Department's Vice Unit that includes the reassignment of approximately 20 police officers and a planned review.
The Chief has been conducting a top-to-bottom review of the department since she arrived in September and is expected to announce a reorganization of the police department's operations in the coming weeks.
Hall says that the significant irregularities she encountered in Vice needed immediate analysis and scrutiny.
"The irregularities are serious and it's important to immediately launch a more thorough assessment and examination of this unit's operations," Hall says in a release. "At the moment, there are more questions than answers, and that's why we have to take a deeper dive into this unit's protocols. Concurrently, we have developed a plan to decentralize enforcement of the crimes that have been handled by Vice."
Chief Hall will shift responsibility for crimes such as prostitution and gambling to the city’s area substations and other units. She emphasized that the reassigned officers will be shifted into five areas of critical enforcement need such as domestic violence and robbery crimes.
Hall also said the City has contracted with a group of external and seasoned law enforcement officials who are members of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). The group is organized as a company called No Limit Investigative and Security Services to assist in the examination of the Vice unit.
"These outside experts will assist us in the evaluation and examination of the Vice unit," she says. "Clearly, to me, there are inconsistencies in Vice's operations, and that needs to be addressed. This division must exhibit the highest level of integrity and accountability because of the types of crime it enforces."
The outside group is composed of former executive police officers whom Hall says understand the need for rigid controls in Vice unit.
Chief Hall emphasized that gambling and prostitution crimes will remain important enforcement issues. Specialized undercover operations will be handled by Narcotics and other units.
