The Dallas Police Department DPD placed three patrol officers on administrative leave in one week after all three were separately arrested for alcohol-related misdemeanor crimes: driving while intoxicated and public intoxication. The first officer, a patrolman with the Central Patrol Division, was arrested on June 10, the second officer, a patrolman with the Northeast Division, was arrested on June 11 and the third officer, an officer within the Unmanned Air Support Unit, was arrested on June 14. A total of six officers have been arrested this calendar year for similar offenses.
This isn’t anything new for Dallas police.
Alcohol abuse within the department was handled head-on in 2021 when after several officers were terminated for alcohol-related issues, an internal review found that officers felt the existing resources were not helpful, and so they weren’t used. In February of 2022, under the guidance of former Chief Eddie Garcia, the department introduced a new unit, the Officer Wellness Longevity Unit, or OWL. The unit is dedicated to offering mental health services and resources to officers, particularly for PTSD and substance use disorder…