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Crime Score Methodology

The Dallas Express developed our Crime Score to keep our readers apprised of current crime trends impacting the city of Dallas. Each month, we calculate and publish a per-capita Dallas Express Crime Score for each city council district, as well as a city-wide score based on crimes reported in the prior month. For a detailed breakdown of every District’s crime score, click here.

 
The monthly rankings are determined by year-over-year change in the monthly Crime Score, and the council member with the largest increase (or smallest decrease) will be designated the Dallas Express Crime Boss of the Month. The year-over-year change is calculated by dividing the most recent month’s Crime Score by the Crime Score from the same month in the prior year.
 
The Crime Score for each area is calculated by multiplying the raw number of crimes from each category by a proprietary weighting, totaling all of the weighted category scores, then dividing the total by the population (in thousands) in that area. District and city-wide population figures are from the Dallas City Hall 2021 estimates.
 
The raw number of total crimes for each category is from the publicly released Dallas Police Department crime data via the Dallas Open Data – Police Incidents dashboard, with category classifications defined through the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS).
 
The Dallas Express Crime Score weighs crimes based on the relative severity of their impact on the Dallas community. While the weight for each crime type is admittedly subjective, these weightings will always be published for our readers to review. The weights assigned to each category are as follows:
 
Weight Category
100 HOMICIDE OFFENSES
90 HUMAN TRAFFICKING
85 KIDNAPPING/ ABDUCTION
65 ROBBERY
50 ARSON
50 ASSAULT OFFENSES
50 EXTORTION/ BLACKMAIL
40 BURGLARY/ BREAKING & ENTERING
40 MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT
40 BRIBERY
40 PEEPING TOM
40 EMBEZZLEMENT
35 COUNTERFEITING / FORGERY
30 DRUG/ NARCOTIC VIOLATIONS
30 LARCENY/ THEFT OFFENSES
30 DESTRUCTION/ DAMAGE/ VANDALISM OF PROPERTY
30 FAMILY OFFENSES, NONVIOLENT
30 FRAUD OFFENSES
30 DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE
30 TRAFFIC VIOLATION – HAZARDOUS
30 DISORDERLY CONDUCT
30 TRESPASS OF REAL PROPERTY
20 PORNOGRAPHY/ OBSCENE MATERIAL
20 WEAPON LAW VIOLATIONS
20 STOLEN PROPERTY OFFENSES
20 GAMBLING OFFENSES
20 PUBLIC INTOXICATION
20 LIQUOR LAW VIOLATIONS
20 ANIMAL OFFENSES
5 TRAFFIC VIOLATION – NON HAZARDOUS

Please note that the open data dashboard excludes information on sex crimes and crimes involving minors for privacy reasons.