Emergency: 911
Main: (469) 419-COPS (2677); internally 7-2677
Non-Emergency Communications Dispatch Center: (469) 419-7777; internally 7-7777
5200 Harry Hines Blvd.
Dallas, TX 75235
About
The Dallas County Hospital District Police Department was established in 1985 to provide a safe and secure environment for patients, staff and visitors at the main hospital, campus outpatient clinics or one of its neighborhood-based health centers.
Unlike most hospitals in the United States, Parkland has its own fully-licensed police agency comprised of four divisions: operations, support services, administrative services, and training and recruitment. The department, which was the first of its kind in Texas, is comprised of sworn officers, non-sworn employees and professional staff. Officers respond to more than 100,000 calls each year and patrol more than 17 million square feet.
With an emphasis on customer service, respect for all and collaboration with others, Parkland’s officers provide a sense of peace and order 24 hours a day/seven days a week. To do this, licensed officers enforce all local, state and federal statutes, and provide educational and awareness programs for those they serve.
Police Chief Marlin R. Suell leads the organization committed to excellence in hospital policing and to ensure the safety of patients, visitors and staff. The department is committed to achieving this goal of distinction.
- The sworn police officers of the DCHD Police Department are peace officers licensed by the state of Texas through TCOLE (Texas Commission on Law Enforcement).
- Public service officers provide a variety of services such as responding to service calls and assisting with vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
- Professional staff members provide administrative duties, ID badge services and crime prevention, among other duties.
Providing a safe and secure environment has been the department’s priority for more than 30 years. Among its duties are:
- Answering calls for assistance 24/7 through its Communications Dispatch Center
- Patrolling the hospital, on-campus clinics and neighborhood-based health centers to prevent crimes that might occur
- Investigating crime reports
- Responding to Behavioral Health Response Team (BERT) calls, where individuals are specially trained to de-escalate potentially volatile situations involving patients who may compromise the safety of themselves or others
- Serving as mental health peace officers, known as LIFE (Law Enforcement Intervention for Environmental/Patient Safety), and rounding in areas with patients who have been identified as potentially violent
- Providing risk assessments for new and ongoing construction projects
- Assisting motorists with parking, valet and/or shuttle questions or concerns
- Conducting training programs for staff and the community such as workplace violence prevention, active shooter training, crime prevention tips, etc.
For seven years, the DCHD Police Department has been ranked on Security magazine’s “Security 500” list, recognizing organizations worldwide for best security practices.
Mailing address
5200 Harry Hines Blvd.
Dallas, TX 75235
DCHD-PD@phhs.org
Hours of Operation
Office: 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday
Call Response: 24 hours a day