On Monday, Dallas city officials explored the most recent information included in the city’s violent crime reduction plan.
The data indicates a decrease in violent crime overall, but an increase in murders this year.
Monday’s Public Safety Committee meeting started at 1 p.m. in Dallas City Hall and covered a variety of topics, including crime.
REDUCTION OF CRIME
In an effort to lower violent crime through a multi-phase strategy, the city of Dallas introduced a violent crime reduction plan in 2021.
In the first phase, the city is divided into over 100,000 “grids,” or parts. The hundreds of grids that are accountable for the high rates of violent crime are given additional officers and resources. Officers are dispatched to strategic locations in the second phase to ascertain from locals what specific changes are necessary to enhance safety.
Place Network Investigations, or “PNI” Violent Crime Reduction Task Force, is another facet of the phase. This unit employs intelligence data to identify locations and organizations linked to violent crime in the areas where it is most prevalent. It was recently featured in a report by NBC 5 Investigates.
This year saw the introduction of the third phase, often referred to as focused deterrence or a “community centered” approach, which seeks to build relationships with individuals who have personally experienced violent crime. The police department will then put those people in touch with community organizations and resources that can assist.
On November 14th, Focused Deterrence will have its second Call-In session.
The police department briefs the city council on a regular basis with the plan’s progress, successes, and difficulties.
According to the most recent data, there has been an 11% decrease in violent crime as of late. Aggravated assaults have also decreased by 15% year over year, which is a significant contributing element.
How does that get translated? Major Jason Scoggins stated, “That translates to over 1,000 fewer victims this year compared to last year.”
However, the outlier is the 2023 murder trend. According to the research, as of October 31, murder rates had increased by 13% for the year, with interpersonal disputes being the main cause.
“We know that we’ve had our challenges this year, particularly with murder being higher than it was last year, and still doing what we can to reduce that,” Eddie Garcia, the chief of the Dallas Police Department, said.
