DALLAS, Texas - The Dallas Police Department is taking over traffic enforcement and crash response on freeways throughout the city beginning Friday, August 28, 2026, marking a significant expansion of the department’s Traffic Unit.
The change follows the conclusion of the Dallas County Highway Traffic Program agreement, under which the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office had been responsible for freeway traffic enforcement and responding to crashes within the City of Dallas.
Dallas Police said the department has spent several months preparing for the transition and has increased staffing within its Traffic Unit to provide officers specifically dedicated to freeway crashes, traffic enforcement and other roadway safety issues.
The department’s responsibilities will expand again Tuesday, September 1, when DPD assumes primary traffic enforcement and crash response duties on North Texas Tollway Authority roadways located within Dallas city limits.
That will include portions of the President George Bush Turnpike within Dallas.
The tollway change comes as the Texas Department of Public Safety’s agreement to provide dedicated law enforcement services on NTTA roadways expires.
“These transitions allow us to take a more comprehensive approach to traffic safety across Dallas,” Dallas Police Chief Daniel C. Comeaux said. “By increasing the capacity of our Traffic Unit, we can provide specialized response on our freeways and tollways while reducing the need to pull patrol officers away from neighborhoods and emergency calls for service.”
DPD Expands Traffic Unit
Under the expanded operation, Dallas Police Traffic Unit officers will be responsible for responding to and investigating crashes on freeways, conducting proactive traffic enforcement and targeting dangerous driving behaviors.
Traffic officers will also provide traffic management during major incidents.
DPD said having dedicated personnel assigned to those responsibilities should reduce the need to divert regular patrol officers from neighborhoods and emergency calls to handle freeway incidents.
The department has been coordinating with regional law enforcement partners in preparation for the change to help maintain continuous police coverage during the transition.
The move effectively places DPD in charge of traffic enforcement and crash response across a broader portion of the major highways and tollways running through Dallas rather than relying on separate agreements with Dallas County and state law enforcement agencies for those services.
Motorists should continue calling 9-1-1 for emergencies and serious crashes. Existing procedures remain in place for reporting non-emergency traffic incidents.
