Violent crime is down in Dallas, but police response times are up

Overall violent crime tallied by the Dallas Police Department is down so far this year compared to 2021.

Why it matters: Violent crime totals have ticked up nationwide since 2020 after years of declines.

Yes, but: Calls to police have increased, and officer response times have slowed since last year.

• It takes officers an average of 8.7 minutes to respond to 911 calls compared to 7.8 minutes last year.

By the numbers: The total number of violent crimes — including murders, aggravated assaults and robbery — have decreased 2% compared to this time last year.

• Total crime, including property crimes, has increased by 1% year-over-year. There have been 491 more crimes reported through Wednesday compared to the same time period in 2021.
• There have been 13 more murders and non-negligent homicides tallied so far this year compared to last.

What they're saying: The police chief said the department is stepping up its recruitment efforts to speed up response times and staff his crime prevention efforts.

• Garcia said he is focused on implementing his crime prevention plans, not comparing years.
• "We are not concentrating on 2021. We are concentrating on 2022 and the years following," Garcia told the City Council during a recent briefing on crime.

What we're watching: Summer is usually when violent crime numbers tick up.