About

Mission

The mission of the Constitutional Policing Unit is to ensure that the Dallas Police Department preserves its integrity by upholding the highest standards of policing – legal, moral, and ethical. To accomplish this mission, the Constitutional Policing Unit will proactively:

Establish a framework for ongoing self-assessment and self-correction;
Ensure the Department's patterns, practices, and policies meet or exceed policing standards outlined in applicable legislation, court decisions, and the Constitution of the United States; and
Identify opportunities to embrace operational innovation, maximize efficiency, and promote data-driven decision making.

Vision

The Dallas Police Department aspires to establish the nation's premier Constitutional Policing Unit dedicated to safeguarding citizens' rights and proactively implementing best practices in law enforcement. Through continuous self-assessment, innovation, and advocacy, we strive to strengthen the Dallas Police Department for the future and redefine the expectations of law enforcement.

Overview

Established in 2023, the Constitutional Policing Unit was created to reinforce the Dallas Police Department's commitment to continuous improvement and to foster trust between our Department and the citizens our officers are sworn to protect.

Constitutional policing emphasizes the protection of individual rights, civil liberties, and the rule of law while carrying out law enforcement duties. It requires officers to operate within the bounds of the legal framework established by the Constitution of the United States, ensuring that their actions are just, fair, and respectful of the rights and dignity of all individuals.

The Constitutional Policing Unit proactively partners with internal and external subject matter experts to evaluate the Department's patterns, practices, and policies and then delivers to the Chief of Police corresponding recommendations for improvement based upon recognized best practices in law enforcement.

Conduct Independent Analyses

Leverage internal and external subject matter experts to conduct independent analyses of the Department's patterns, practices, and policies.

Recommend Improvements

Deliver to the Chief of Police recommendations to improve the Department's patterns, practices, and policies, informed by the results of its independent analyses benchmarked against recognized best practices in law enforcement.

Implement Best Practices

Partner with Department leaders to implement approved recommendations for improvement.

Monitor Continuously

Establish a framework for ongoing evaluation to ensure the successful implementation of approved recommendations for improvement, facilitate training excellence, and confirm adherence to local, state, and federal laws.

Engage in Legislative Advocacy

Advocate at the local, state, and federal levels of government for policies aligned with constitutional policing principles and recognized best practices in law enforcement.

It is my hope that in the future it becomes standard across all law enforcement agencies to have a compliance bureau charged with bringing in constitutional policing with a direct line to the chief or commissioner of the agency and that is responsible for ensuring the department does not lose its way.

- Honorable James K. Bredar, Chief Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland