\n Dallas PD Takes Over Freeway Enforcement | DPD logo Image by Dallas Police Department\/Facebook; police lights Image by Canva <\/p>\n
The Dallas Police Department recently announced<\/a> that it has received formal notice from Dallas County terminating the interlocal agreement for the Dallas County Highway Traffic Program, effective August 28, 2026. <\/p>\n The agreement, which began October 1, 2025, provided approximately $1.2 million in annual funding for the Dallas County Sheriff\u2019s Office to handle freeway traffic enforcement and crash response services inside the city limits of Dallas.<\/p>\n Dallas PD said it has been preparing for the change for several months and will expand its own Traffic Unit to assume responsibility for freeway enforcement, High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane enforcement, and crash investigations on city freeways. The department stated the shift is intended to improve response times, keep specialized traffic investigators on crash scenes, strengthen HOV enforcement, and reduce the need to pull patrol officers away from emergency calls for service.<\/p>\n Details of the Terminated Agreement<\/p>\n According to the official Dallas Police Department statement posted<\/a> on X, the partnership allowed the Sheriff\u2019s Office to provide targeted coverage on major limited-access highways within Dallas. City Council records show the City of Dallas and Dallas County have maintained versions of this funding arrangement for many years, with the most recent three-year agreement authorized<\/a> in March 2026 for a total not to exceed $4.374 million through September 2028.<\/p>\n The program traces its roots<\/a> to 2008, when the Dallas County Sheriff\u2019s Office assumed primary freeway coverage responsibilities in portions of southern Dallas County. That arrangement was designed to free Dallas police resources for neighborhood-focused patrol while the Sheriff\u2019s Office handled regional highway response.<\/p>\n Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux stated<\/a> the following:<\/p>\n \u201cThis transition reflects the way we are continuously evaluating how we deploy our resources to best serve the people of Dallas. Expanding our Traffic Unit allows us to provide faster, more specialized response to traffic incidents, assume responsibility for HOV lane enforcement, and keep patrol officers focused on responding to calls for service. It\u2019s an investment in both public safety and operational efficiency that ultimately enhances the level of service our community expects and deserves.\u201d<\/p>\n Dallas Police Staffing Improving, But Still Short of Voter Mandate<\/p>\n The transition occurs while the Dallas Police Department continues to operate below the minimum staffing level required by Proposition U<\/a>, the 2024 voter-approved charter amendment. Prop U requires the city to maintain at least 4,000 full-time sworn officers.<\/p>\n As of early July 2026, Dallas Police Association President Sean Pease stated<\/a> the department had 3,398 sworn officers, per CBS. City Council member Cara Mendelsohn reported<\/a> 3,391 officers as of May 1, 2026. Both figures remain several hundred officers short of the 4,000 threshold.<\/p>\n