Daniel Comeaux takes helm as Dallas police chief, outlines key priorities
For the first time in nearly six months, the sixth-floor office at Dallas police headquarters is occupied by a new chief.
Daniel Comeaux has officially begun as the Dallas Police Department's latest leader.
New chief prioritizes recruitment and stability
Comeaux said he intends to give high-ranking officers a chance to prove themselves before deciding on any changes to his command staff.
"I'm excited to be here. I'm ready to work with each and every resident of Dallas and each and every officer," Comeaux said enthusiastically.
With those words, Comeaux began his leadership of 3,000 Dallas police officers. He emphasized that hiring more officers would be one of his first priorities.
"Well, day one, we're going to really work on recruiting," Comeaux said.
Comeaux brings DEA experience to Dallas
Comeaux previously ran the Drug Enforcement Agency office in Houston and started his law enforcement career with the Houston Police Department. On his first official day in Dallas, he conducted media interviews at DPD headquarters and insisted that being an outsider could be an advantage.
"I've traveled around the entire United States, almost from the West Coast all the way to the southeast," Comeaux said. "So I've seen many large police departments do some things really well. And I've seen some small police departments do some things really well and really bad. We've got to put all that together in one pot and make Dallas the very best possible department we can."
Ensuring safety during 2026 World Cup in Dallas
As one of the top law enforcement leaders in North Texas, Comeaux is expected to play a leading role in maintaining security during next year's World Cup games.
"Well, look, the World Cup, the most important thing is going to keep everybody safe," he said. "We want everybody to be able to celebrate, have a good time, walk the streets and feel extremely safe."
Prioritizing Dallas residents as new chief
The 55-year-old addressed the city council on Wednesday morning, emphasizing that Dallas residents are now his top priority.
"Look, there are only a few cities that I was interested in being a police chief in, and Dallas was one of them," Comeaux said. "When it became open, I was really excited. And I was like, 'All right, all the eggs in one basket. Let's go for it.'"
Avid baseball fan pledges support for Rangers
In addition to his professional commitments, Comeaux revealed he is an avid baseball fan.
Despite coming from the home of the Astros, he promised to support the Rangers.
