Dallas violent crime numbers declining

Dallas crime numbers are declining slightly, which police officials say is linked to the chief’s violent crime reduction plan that has focused on hot spot policing.

Why it matters: Violent crimes increased in Dallas and nationwide in 2020, but police officials locally believe that numbers this year show the increase won’t continue.

Context: Since the crime reduction plan was implemented in May, police say there are 300 fewer robbery victims compared to 2020.

• Violent crime has dropped nearly 6% compared to last year.

By the numbers:

• There have been 158 murders and non-negligent homicides through September this year, compared to 168 during the same time period in 2020.
• Dallas police have seized 3,785 weapons this year compared to 2,690 in 2020.
• Officers have made 607 more arrests this year compared to last year.

What they’re saying: “We’re seeing better trends in Dallas than we are in other big cities across the country,” councilmember Adam McGough, chair of the public safety committee, said during a crime briefing Tuesday. “We’re just getting started going the right direction. Let’s keep it up."

The bottom line: The latest city budget calls for hiring 250 police officers in each of the next two years to improve response times. The police department only hired 169 officers in the last fiscal year and lost 204 officers during that same time.