During a November 2 press conference, Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia suggested that minority communities in the city are harmed by policy reforms that release violent criminals back onto the streets.
Garcia first said that racial minorities comprise an overwhelming majority of the victims of violent crime in Dallas.
He explained, “If you look at… our violent crime data in the City of Dallas … 91% of our murder victims in the city are either black or Latino; 90% of our domestic violence, aggravated assault victims are black or Latina; 85% of our aggravated assault victims, non-family violence are black or Latino; 85% of our individual robbery victims are black and Latino in those neighborhoods.”
Garcia continued, “When we talk about bail reform, when we talk about the outcry to our community to stop the violence, I 100% agree with Troy Finner.”
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner has previously criticized bail policies that allow violent criminals to be released, saying, “We cannot allow violent offenders time after time to commit violent crimes and we’re letting them out.”
During the press conference, Garcia added that these policies threaten the safety of minority communities.
“What’s been going on with the irresponsible decisions that I have been seeing here since I took this position nearly two years ago, is the fact that bail reform [is letting] violent criminals back into our neighborhoods is not helping our communities of color,” he said. “It has emboldened violent criminals. It has reduced the trust that our community has in the system.”
He said, “I’ve said this many times … Whether I was in California or here, regardless [of] language spoken, racial makeup, or economic background, I have never heard of a neighborhood impacted by violent crime that’s asked us for less accountability, and less honorable men and women patrolling their streets.”
Garcia continued, “So when I stand here and I get frustrated about violent criminals back in our community, I’m frustrated for the entire City of Dallas, but the data shows I am more frustrated for our communities of color and our black and Latino communities and our black and Latino victims and their families that are impacted by violent crime.”
“Bail reform and the reforms that have been made that were supposed to help our communities of color … is hurting us. It’s hurting our efforts, and it’s costing the lives of our communities of color in this city,” he concluded.
In 2017, a coalition of civil rights groups filed a class-action lawsuit against Dallas County, arguing that the cash bail system kept poor inmates detained while allowing those with money to go free. Attorneys said the system amounted to “systemic wealth-based detention.”
After John Creuzot assumed the office of Dallas County District Attorney in 2019, he initiated reforms to the county’s cash bail system. He expressed that his intention was to prevent “poor defendants” from being “kept in jail because of their economic disadvantages.”
In an op-ed he wrote for The Dallas Morning News, Creuzot insisted that his reforms would “ensure that dangerous defendants are prevented from hurting the community.”
However, Chief Garcia’s comments indicate a disagreement with Creuzot’s bail reforms, suggesting that the chief believes the changes have allowed dangerous criminals to re-enter their communities and victimize Dallas residents.