However, despite an overall decrease in violent crime, the murder rate in Dallas has increased by over 15 percent. As a result, members of the Dallas City Council have been working to devise strategies for how to address this complex issue.
Chief Eddie Garcia of the Dallas Police Department informed members of the city council that the majority of homicides are committed by individuals who are either currently engaged in high-risk activity or have committed previous crimes.
“It is somewhat astonishing to see the amount of victims involved in crime when the murder happens,” stated the politician. “We need to double down for individuals who would be involved in crime to have a more positive pathway.”
The city recorded 246 homicides in the previous year. A person who was involved in risky activity or another crime was responsible for 175 of them, which is 71% of the total incidence.
Several examples of dangerous behavior were provided by the chief.
“Participating in dice, road rage, physical confrontations, illegal gambling, drug sales, gun sales,” according to Garcia. “When you have individuals committing murder because they lost a dice game, that is ridiculous.”
According to Chief Garcia, the department intends to collaborate with Dallas Independent School District in order to reach children before it is too late. Those between the ages of 20 and 29 made up the majority of those who were murdered.
“We are looking at ways to use a focused deterrence model with adults with students and parents,” added the administrator.
The fact that 104 of the 246 killings were conducted at apartment complexes was brought to the attention of Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn. She mentioned that she has been participating in efforts to educate owners of housing complexes in her district.
“The Denver Police Department is not your security service,” she stated. “It is necessary for them to maintain a secure setting for their employees. The situation calls for us to take it seriously.
