As murders continue to climb in Dallas this year, the majority of victims continue to be people of color.
Citywide, as of December 8, there have been 230 murders or non-negligent manslaughter cases, marking a 12.7% increase over the 204 incidents logged during the same period last year, according to the City of Dallas crime analytics dashboard.
Of the 230 victims so far in 2023, 124 of them were black, making up 53.9% of victims of criminal homicide. Within that cohort, 104 were men or boys, and 20 were women or girls. The median victim age is currently 30.
Some 77 victims, or 33.5%, were either Hispanic or Latino. Out of the 77, 61 were men or boys, and 16 were women or girls. The median age of these victims is also 30.
Of the remaining victims of criminal homicide, 19 were white, four were of Middle Eastern descent, two were of Asian descent, and four have been classified by the City as “unknown.”
Police Chief Eddie Garcia and the Dallas Police Department have been waging a data-driven campaign against violent crime in the city that focuses on allocating police resources to crime hot spots. However, these efforts have been hampered by the department’s officer shortage. There are currently only around 3,000 officers in its ranks despite a City analysis recommending roughly 4,000.
Consequently, Downtown Dallas sees considerably higher rates of crime than Fort Worth’s city center, which is patrolled by a designated police unit alongside private security guards.
Some local activist groups, like Dallas Cred, have been working as “violence interrupters” in their communities, intervening in conflicts that run the risk of becoming openly violent, as reported by the Dallas Observer.