The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Police Department is recruiting applicants for our open Police Officer positions and we invite students to attend our upcoming Open House & Career Fair:
When: Saturday, April 13th, 2024
from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. (come and go at any time)
Where: DART Police Headquarters
2111 South Corinth Street Road in Dallas, Texas
(adjacent to the Illinois Train Station)
-or-
virtually via Zoom
Why: Meet some of our Patrol Officers, Canine Handlers, Detectives, Special Operations Officers, Motorcycle Officers, Drone Pilots, Training Officers, Recruiters, etc., and ask them all of your questions about a law enforcement career. In-person attendees can also participate in various activities with opportunities to win prizes.
Click here for a link to a recruiting brochure regarding our Police Officer position and containing basic information about the DART Police Department.
Compensation:
The starting salary for applicants without a TCOLE peace officer license is $70,000. The starting salary for TCOLE licensed peace officers is based on eligible years of law enforcement experience. Click here for the DART Police Department’s pay scale.
Additionally, we are currently offering a signing bonus of $5,000 for new Police Officers, which will be paid in two installments. The first installment of $2,500 will be paid on the first paycheck upon being hired and the second installment of $2,500 will be paid upon completion of field training.
DART also offers relocation reimbursement for applicants who live more than 50 miles away from Dallas.
Given the large size of the entire agency, DART offers a generous benefits package that includes: multiple affordable health insurance options, as well as dental, vision, life, AD&D insurance, four retirement plans (defined contribution plan, two 401k plans, and 457b plan), paid time off that increases with seniority, paid holidays, tuition reimbursement, military leave, among many other benefits.
DART Police provides uniforms and all required equipment, to include service weapon and ammunition. Officers are only responsible for providing their shoes, socks, and under garments.
Department information:
DART is the mass transit agency for the Dallas metropolitan area and employs almost 4,000 personnel serving over 50 million riders annually. The DART Police Department provides police services for the transportation system throughout 13 cities in 6 counties, covering over 700 square miles. The department has 429 positions, which are comprised of 252 sworn officers and 177 civilian employees.
Given the size of the department, DART Police offers a wide variety of special assignments, such as canine handlers, detectives, motorcycle officers, bicycle officers, drone pilots, special operations officers, training officers, and background investigators. As a medium sized police department, each officer is a valued team member and our officers personally know each other, which leads to a heightened level of support and camaraderie.
The DART Police Department also offers career advancement opportunities due to growth related to planned rail expansion in 2026.
Hiring Process:
The hiring process takes approximately 9-12 weeks. The position is currently posted and we only accept applications through our website. We accept applications from experienced and non-experienced applicants.
We offer out of town applicants the opportunity to attend the entrance exam, interview board, and polygraph exam all on the same day, to minimize the number of trips they will have to make to Dallas. Then near the end of the process, we will schedule the interview with the Chief of Police, the medical exam/drug test, the psychological evaluation, and the fingerprinting appointments all on the same day. This will require applicants to make two trips to Dallas, and the second trip can also serve as a house hunting visit. Both of these trips are at the expense of the applicant.
If you have any other questions or need further information, please feel free to contact us or join one of our upcoming virtual recruiting events.
