With tourists flooding North Texas for World Cup action, Dallas police are trying to turn soccer fans into rookies. The department is planning a three-day hiring blitz at Gilley's, the South Side honky-tonk, from June 10-12 to line up with World Cup crowds in DFW. Organizers say the weekend will pack interviews, physical testing, and background screening into one stop so successful candidates could land in a police academy class as soon as mid-summer.
As reported by CBS News Texas, the event is being billed as one of the department's most ambitious recruiting pushes and is aimed at both visitors and locals. Deputy Chief Jordan Colunga, who is overseeing the effort, told CBS, "We want that broad net to get people's eyes on us," and said the weekend's motto is "we are hiring." The fair will feature interviews, on-site physical testing, background checks, and polygraphs, plus demonstrations of SWAT equipment, drone technology, and the helicopter unit. Organizers say the venue can hold up to 600 people and had 31 registrants at the time of reporting.
World Cup Spurs Expanded Security In Dallas
City leaders have been reworking downtown safety plans ahead of the 2026 World Cup, opening a downtown command center and increasing patrols in the central business district to handle the expected crush of fans. Those moves are meant to produce long-term improvements to downtown safety and crowd control rather than quick, one-off fixes tied only to the tournament, according to KERA News. Officials say the buildup includes new patrol divisions and collaborations with private and nonprofit groups to keep neighborhoods and major event hubs secure.
Part Of An Aggressive Two-Year Hiring Drive
The Gilley's hiring fair is one piece of a broader staffing strategy the department detailed for city leaders this spring, focused on expanding the force and the training pipeline, according to City of Dallas briefing materials. Local reporting shows roughly $22 million has been set aside for personnel costs and that the department intends to hire about 350 officers in 2026 and 400 in 2027, or roughly 750 new officers over two years, according to The Dallas Morning News. City officials say the ramp-up is meant to handle major events while also advancing longer-term staffing goals.
What To Expect At The Event
To reach more potential applicants, DPD has eased one qualification so that 36 consecutive months of relevant employment can substitute for a college degree, widening the pool of people who can apply. The department also says that applicants who clear on-site testing and checks could be slotted into an academy as early as mid-summer, according to CBS News.
Whether attendees are World Cup visitors or locals already eyeing a career change, officials are pitching the weekend as a way to move people quickly from casual interest to formal training as Dallas prepares for a global spotlight. Organizers say the event is built to cast a wide net and to show off the technology and specialized units that come with a law-enforcement career in Dallas.
