Assault offenses in the Downtown Dallas area have been on the rise this year, clocking a 20.1% increase year to date over the same period in 2023.
In Sector 130 of the Dallas Police Department, which includes the Central Business District and Victory Park neighborhood, City data shows that there have been 568 assaults committed in 2024 as of July 26. This is an increase from the 473 assaults reported during the same time period last year.
According to the City of Dallas crime analytics dashboard, 390 simple assaults were reported in 2024, marking an 18.5% bump over the 329 recorded the previous year. Aggravated assaults also saw a year-over-year increase, climbing from 73 to 79 for an 8.2% spike. Cases of intimidation jumped by 17.4%, increasing from 71 to 99 incidents.
Other types of crime have also been going up, including larceny. DPD logged 188 reports so far this year, a 19.7% increase over the 157 reports in 2023. Robberies also ticked up, although not by much. The department clocked just one more so far than last year.
Relatedly, Fort Worth has private security guards and a special neighborhood police unit patrolling its city center. Meanwhile, DPD is laboring with significant resource issues. Despite a report calling for a force of around 4,000 officers, DPD fields only about 3,000, a situation that has negatively impacted response times. Its budget of $654 million is also smaller than that of law enforcement agencies in other high-crime cities, such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City.
MCBA CEO Louis Darrouzet previously told The Dallas Express that the staffing issue has been the primary reason why crime is so high in Downtown Dallas.
“We’ve been harping on the City for years now … it’s clear all they need to do is increase their police force,” Darrouzet said.