Officer D

This weekend in NW Dallas a patrol officer was intentionally kicked in the head by a female prisoner. The prisoner was arrested after a disturbance at a hotel and was placed in the right rear seat of the patrol car, as per DPD patrol S.O.P. (standard operating procedure) for a two-man element. The officer was injured as the prisoner was wearing shoes with two inch heels. The prisoner then proceeded to kick the control console and damage the switches that control the vehicle lighting. An officer was injured and the vehicle was damaged due to lack of a $300.00 safety cage installed in the partol car. It's not just the front passenger put in risk in this situation. In a two man patrol element, one officer is required to ride to jail in the rear of the vehicle along with the prisoner. Officers are intentionally spit on, vomited on, head butted, kicked, and insulted by prisoners during the trip. If there is anyone who believes that a prisoner is no longer dangerous just because they are handcuffed, they are grossly mistaken.

In a one officer patrol element, the prisoner is seat-belted in the front seat right next to the arresting officer. I have personally been assaulted by prisoners in the front seat while I was cruising down Stemmons Freeway traveling at 60 mph. It can be dangerous to control a 3000 pound vehicle and a combative prisoner at the same time. This could be happening while I was driving next to you.

Lastly, I wanted to discuss personal hygiene. Would you spend 8 hours in a cloth seat that you knew had homeless people, people with lice, people covered in vomit, or injured people with HIV or hepatitus in it last? That is what we ask our officers to do every day. How would you like to bring those goodies home to your family?

The city is willing to spend $100,000 dollars on a study, but will not buy $300.00 cages to put into the cars used to patrol the streets of Dallas.

The city is also too cheap to install $70.00 locking shotgun racks inside the vehicles. A recent incident in NC Dallas required the use of a shotgun. Of the responding officers, not a single one had a shotgun with them. I personally do not carry a shotgun because I do not have a place to secure it. I am afraid that I am going to leave my vehicle to go on a call, and return to find a person armed with my weapon which was left un-secured inside my vehicle.

Officer D