It only took Dallas 136 years to hire its first female police chief.
U. Renee Hall took the reins of the Dallas Police Department in September, after three years as deputy chief in Detroit, where she was raised.
If you haven’t read any of the headlines lately, here’s what you need to know about Hall:
1.) She doesn’t seem terribly concerned about shaking things up a bit.
Hall already is reducing the number of assistant chiefs from nine to three and the number of deputy chiefs from 15 to seven. Regardless of their tenure, each superior will be interviewed, and officers will complete a survey rating their leadership skills.
“I’m looking at what you have done, how you are taking care of your troops and what you have done to take the department to the next level,” Hall told WFAA.
2.) She’s adamant about community involvement.
Less than a month after Hall relocated to Texas, she held a meet-and-greet at Moody Performance Hall. It’s just one of several events she’s organized to get to know Dallasites better. Hall also plans to establish a citizens advisory board, as well as boards for each patrol division, to solicit feedback about the department’s decisions.
“Our goal is to make the city work with every single person who lives, works and plays here,” Hall said during a public safety committee meeting. “In order for us to do that, we have to address those individuals who love us, and those individuals who don’t love us so much.”
3.) She beat six finalists, three of which worked for the Dallas Police Department, to become police chief.
Hall worked for the Detroit Police Department for more 20 years. Under her leadership, the city saw crime drop dramatically, and several community policing and mentor programs were established.
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