Five stories that have North Texas talking: Interviews for Dallas Police Chief begin; Philip Kingston is on the hook for more than $8,100; Texas is one of the best states to start a business; and more.
Seven candidates — three internal and four from outside Texas — interview this week with the hopes of becoming the next chief of the Dallas Police Department.
When Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax announced the finalists last month, among them was Grand Prairie Police Chief Steve Dye. But, last week, Dye said he withdrew his application — not because he wasn’t equipped for the job, but because of his “deep devotion” to his current department, according to the Dallas Morning News.
One of the following candidates will replace Interim Dallas Police Chief David Pughes. He took the reins from David Brown, who retired in October after 33 years on the force.
- Malik Aziz, Deputy Chief, Dallas Police Department
- Carmen Best, Deputy Chief, Seattle Police Department
- U. Renee Hall, Deputy Chief, Detroit Police Department
- Michel Moore, First Assistant Chief, Los Angeles Police Department
- Luther Reynolds, Assistant Chief, Montgomery County (Maryland) Police Department
- Gary Tittle, Assistant Chief, Dallas Police Department
- Rick Watson, Deputy Chief, Dallas Police Department
Learn more about them from the Dallas Morning News.
They begin a three-day interview process Monday with a tour of police facilities and parts of Dallas as well as a reception with community stakeholders.
Broadnax has assembled five panels that will interview the finalists on Tuesday. The panels include partners in the law enforcement community, religious leaders, members of various police associations, advocates who lead police support groups and other neighborhood and community leaders. Citizens can meet the finalists in person from 6 to 8 p.m. at Dallas City Hall Tuesday.
Finalists will interview with Broadnax’s staff Wednesday, and he’ll determine next steps after that.
Whoever assumes the position faces a department struggling with staffing shortages. With low pay and a troubled pension fund, officers have been leaving faster than they can be replaced. Currently, the department is almost 400 officers short of the 3,500 its leaders say are needed. [KERA News, The Dallas Morning News]
Some links have a pay wall or require a subscription.
- Dallas officials are asking council member Philip Kingston to pay back more than $8,000 of his salary because he allegedly missed too many meetings. [The Dallas Morning News]
- Texas is failing to adequately penalize the companies behind oil refineries, chemical plants and other industrial facilities emitting illegal toxins in the air. [Fort Worth Star-Telegram]
- Acting is an art that only a select few can truly master — so is teaching actors to wield swords and throw punches on stage. Meet your local fight director. [Art&Seek]
- Texas is the second best state in the country to start a business, just behind North Dakota, according to a recent analysis from a personal finance website. [WalletHub]
The High Five is KERA’s daily roundup of stories from Dallas-Fort Worth and across the state. Explore our archives here. And sign up for our weekly email for the North Texas news you need to know.
