Prostitution has skyrocketed in northwestern Dallas, adding further strain on the City’s under-staffed police department.
The number of prostitution-related offenses logged increased citywide by more than 178% year over year, totaling 445 as of August 20, according to a Dallas Police Department report. Of the reported offenses, 379 were for prostitution, 35 were for purchasing prostitution, and 31 were for assisting or promoting prostitution.
Of the total, 421 — 94.6% — were logged by DPD’s Northwest Patrol Division. Much of the division’s jurisdiction overlaps with City Council Member Omar Narvaez’s District 6.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, District 6 has historically been ground zero for the illegal commercial sex trade in Dallas.
Geographic data from the City of Dallas crime overview dashboard indicates that 199 of the 285 prostitution-related offenses reported in Dallas in 2022 occurred in District 6. More recently, 150 of the 159 offenses reported in the first four months of 2023 were attributed to the district.
More up-to-date geographic data is currently unavailable on the dashboard. The City previously said it is still working on restoring full functionality after a purported ransomware attack targeted City computer systems in early May, claiming that the City has “achieved 97 percent restoration.”
Still, a recent report by NBC 5 DFW seems to confirm the gravity of the problem in northwestern Dallas, as residents there have apparently been voicing their concerns over a steep spike in prostitution-related activity on city streets since a county appeals court judge struck down a City anti-prostitution ordinance.
The issue has added further pressure on DPD, which currently only has around 3,100 officers on staff. A City report recommends a municipality the size of Dallas should have about 4,000 sworn personnel policing its streets.
“A lot of it has to do with the manpower or lack of manpower for Dallas police right now,” said one area resident who declined to provide his name to NBC 5. The resident told the news outlet that it can take as many as three officers hours to effect a prostitution arrest because of the investigatory work necessary.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, northwestern Dallas has also seen a significant rise in murders.
“I’ve seen pimps shooting at each other. I’ve had pimps pull guns on me when I tell the girls to leave. It’s gunshots every night,” said another area resident, according to NBC 5.
In a statement to NBC 5, DPD spokesperson Kristin Lowman said:
“The city continues to review its options in response to the recent court ruling as it applies to Dallas City Code Section 31-27, ‘Manifesting the Purpose of Engaging in Prostitution.’ The court’s ruling is limited to that specific city ordinance and does not prevent [DPD] from enforcing state laws regarding prostitution. DPD’s Patrol Divisions, the Special Investigations Division, and the Northwest Patrol Prostitution Task Force are working daily to prevent and address prostitution offenses and will continue their enforcement efforts.”
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.
Curious to know how your area stacked up on crime? Normally, you could check out our interactive Crime Map to compare all Dallas City Council Districts, but as reliable data remain unavailable, this feature remains blank. Those interested in how we got our numbers prior to the ransomware hurdles can check out our methodology page here.
