fbpx

DPD Considering Redrawing Patrol Districts

Dallas Patrol District Shifting
Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia | Image by NBC DFW

Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia is considering redrawing the seven patrol district lines, repositioning officers to decrease response time in 2023.

Jon Fortune, Dallas’ deputy city manager, highlighted a report on December 9 based on DPD’s dashboard, which showed response time to calls getting slower over the course of 2022.

In November of 2022, it took officers an average of 10.42 minutes to respond to 911 calls, up from 8.7 minutes in the same month in 2021.

The report also revealed that the department has 600 fewer officers than it did in October 2011.

DPD’s most recent response time summary report on January 4 showed that response time had risen even further, to 12.6 minutes.

As such, Garcia considers redrawing patrol lines a possible avenue for addressing these issues. Adding supervisors in 2023 is another.

“Looking at the city, looking at the dynamics, as the city changes, population changes, population shifts, calls for service shift, staffing numbers shift, and we need to shift along with it,” said Garcia. “So, we need to look at that.”

Kristin Lowman, assistant director of the DPD media relations office, told The Dallas Express that this change is being considered due to changes in population, zoning, and increases in calls for service and the need for staff.

Lowman said the last time patrol borders were defined was between 2006 and 2007.

The City budget for fiscal year 2021-22 stated the goal of officers is to respond to 60% of priority one calls within eight minutes. To meet this goal, the budget added funding, accounted for 911 system enhancements, and sought to increase police staffing.

Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax has previously stated, “There is not a single strategy that will improve response time, but instead, it will take multiple approaches to increase the efficiency of police response and increase our overall capacity for response.”

As DPD’s response time has spiked, so too has crime across the city — an epidemic that city leaders have failed to address through 2022 and the first days of 2023.

Support our non-profit journalism

2 Comments

  1. Lynn

    I personally feel that if we had more police officers that would increase the response time. Also if the radios and computers were up to date in the squad cars officers would be out on the streets instead of being at the radio shop. Plus more officers added to the force would reduce the pressure and the stress that our officers are under now. Let’s face it we need more 2 man patrols. It is getting to dangerous anymore for a 1 man patrol car to be by his self. We are having to redirect to many calls because of one man patrol cars .
    People coming across the border the way they are face it. We need more police officers.
    If we need to up the pay to get more help then I suggest that’s what we do. If you say we don’t have the funds .I suggest we start cutting other things out. Example police officers having to go write tickets for scooters and bicycles. That should not be their job. People in city hall should be out there writing tickets. Hope I didn’t offend anyone.

    Reply
    • Fed Up With Dallas County

      “I personally feel that if we had more police officers that would increase the response time.”

      I agree with you but I think you may have meant to use the word decrease.

      Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Continue reading on the app
Expand article