Patrol:

The chief deputy of the Office of General Services is appointed by and directly responsible to the sheriff. This office is comprised of the Operations Services Bureau and the Investigative and Support Services Bureau, each commanded by an assistant chief.

In 1949, the first county owned patrol cars were put on the streets. Sheriff Bill Decker knew the 1949 Fords, would be a great asset to the county. In 1951, the first radio communication between the dispatchers and patrol cars were put into service.

Currently, there are 132 assigned to patrol/traffic. These officers patrol the entire county with a high precedence in the southern part of Dallas County in the unincorporated areas. While patrolling is their main function, these officers will also assist other Dallas County sections, such as CID, warrants and traffic.

On average, the Patrol Section receives approximately 3,000 calls per month. That is almost 40,000 a year. These officers average approximately 800 offense reports each month. Each deputy who comes to patrol receives six months of training before riding solo. All squads are designated as solo by schedule.