The deputy chief of police briefed the Public Safety Committee on June 23 that the Dallas Police Department was fully staffed at the time of the meeting but expected to lose Chief Simpson to retirement on June 30 and is recruiting to fill a second-command position with an application deadline of July 1 and a target hire date in September.

That staffing note came alongside a report on vehicle problems and traffic enforcement: the deputy chief said several department vehicles are out of service for issues ranging from a fuel-system problem on a 2022 Dodge (under warranty) to a 2019 Ford with a transmission failure and a 2018 Ford showing low compression on two cylinders.

Nut graf: The department said staffing is adequate for now but faces equipment vulnerabilities and an upcoming leadership vacancy; traffic enforcement metrics are up compared with last year.

On enforcement metrics, the deputy chief reported 367 traffic stops in May 2025, producing 126 citations and 241 warnings. “That represents, about a 35% increase over May 2024 stops and 11% increase in citations,” the deputy chief said, adding the department views the rise—and a 48% increase in warnings—as a positive sign of proactive enforcement.

The deputy chief said one traffic-safety officer will be on vacation for part of the month and the department expects a temporary drop in stops while that officer is absent. On fleet capacity, the deputy chief said the department can be down up to four vehicles before response capacity is substantially affected and that fleet staff work to maintain serviceable vehicles.

Discussion: committee members asked for clarifications about how the department handles being short vehicles and the deputy chief described contingency steps such as recalling take-home vehicles and reallocating resources; no formal action was taken.

Ending: Recruitment to replace the retiring chief and to fill the second-command slot is underway; fleet repairs and equipment replacement remain items for follow-up.