Violent crime has been a continuing problem in Dallas. Homicides within the city increased 116.7% in June of 2021 compared to June of this year. The Dallas Express Crime Boss of the Month for July, four-time winner of the distinction, District 1 Councilman Chad West was not immune to the growth.
District 1 had a murder in June of ’22 after seeing none in June ’21. This is the second such increase in as many months; the district also saw one homicide in May ’22 compared to none in that month of the previous year.
On June 30, an innocent bystander was hit by a bullet in District 1 after two men exchanged gunfire at a local convenience store, The Dallas Express reports. Police are now asking for the public’s assistance in locating the two suspects, who were captured in a surveillance video shared by DPD.
The first suspect in the video, which shows the events leading up to the shooting, pulls into the gas station parking lot at 3444 E. Illinois Ave. in a gold SUV and makes a pass before turning around and returning to the frame. A man then gets out of his car and walks into the store.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Detective Orlandus Bronner at 214-862-3631 or [email protected]. Please refer to case 117522-2022.
Chad West is Currently on Break for Council Recess
The Dallas Express reached out to West to inquire about the increase in crime in his district, but he is on break for council recess.
An automated email response from the councilman stated, “Thank you for reaching out! Please note that I am out of the office until August 1, 2022, for City Council’s summer recess. I will be traveling domestically and internationally with family and will have limited access to emails.”
Overview of Dallas District 1 Crime Score by Category
The City of Dallas also saw the violent crimes of Assault and Robbery increase from June ’21 to ’22. In District 1, Assault Offenses were up 34.6%, from 26 to 35, and Robbery was up a whopping 200%, from 7 to 21.
The People’s Paper will dissect the city-wide growth within these crime categories in the next Crime Boss installment.
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.