As previously reported in The Dallas Express, Jesse Moreno was recently named Crime Boss of the Month because of the steep increase in City Council District 2’s Crime Score compared to October 2021.
The councilman’s Crime Score shot up 12.66% and saw significant spikes in Assaults, Drug Offenses, Larceny, and Motor Vehicle Thefts.
Moreno’s district includes some of the city’s most historic and culturally relevant sites, including Deep Ellum — ground zero for the Dallas’ music scene — and the Dallas Farmers Market, a sprawling indoor and outdoor space for vendors and artists to offer a taste of local flavor.
Dallas lost more than 14,000 residents between 2020 and 2021, according to the most recent U.S. Census, per D Magazine, bucking the regional trend of year-over-year population growth.
Stephen Moitz of the local advocacy group Keep Dallas Safe has posited that crime is part of what is pushing people out of the city. It is not hard to imagine Dallas seeing a further exodus if crime keeps up, especially around the city’s landmark treasures.
Assaults in District 2 increased by almost a third compared to last year, with the Dallas Police Department (DPD) logging 25 more incidents. Drug Offenses spiked even higher, at 62.6% over last October. Burglaries, Weapons Law Violations, and Hazardous Traffic Violations are also up, and much of this crime is going unreported by local media outlets.
Hundreds of people were victimized last month, and DPD shared with The Dallas Express reports of several crimes that were not publicized by other local media.
For instance, two people were victimized outside the El Paisano Taqueria on Carroll Avenue on October 5. The pair were just sitting in their vehicle when more than one suspect held them at gunpoint, taking their cash and an iWatch before fleeing the scene.
On October 10, stray bullets pierced two different apartment unit windows at 3100 N. Houston St. in the middle of the night. Luckily, no one was injured. A suspect has yet to be identified, but the investigation is ongoing.
Almost a week later, on October 16, two men were walking along Webb Chapel Extension when three other men popped out of a truck and robbed them. One of the suspects held the victims at gunpoint while he and his accomplices relieved them of their money and an iPhone. For good measure, one of the suspects smashed one of his victims over the head with a bottle.
These are just a few of the myriad of criminal incidents that happened under Moreno’s watch in October, contributing to his overall Crime Score increase and his clinching the title of Crime Boss of the Month.
The Dallas Express, The People’s Paper, believes that important information about the city, such as crime rates and trends, should be easily accessible to you. Dallas has more crime per capita than hotspots like Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and New York, according to data from the FBI’s UCR database.
How did your area stack up on crime? Check out our interactive Crime Map to compare all Dallas City Council Districts. Curious how we got our numbers? Check out our methodology page here.