Black and Hispanic people in Dallas suffered more in 2023 than other groups in terms of being victims of violent crime.
According to the City of Dallas victim demographics dashboard, these demographics comprised the overwhelming majority of victims of murder, aggravated assault, and sexual assault last year.
Of the 246 murders committed within the city limits in 2023, 134 were black, and 81 were Hispanic or Latino. Together, they made up 87.4% of all murder victims that year. Murders increased by 15% year over year.
Black and Hispanic people made up a similar share of aggravated assault victims. Of the 6,381 offenses committed, 3,228 were against black individuals, and 2,309 were against Hispanics or Latinos. Blacks made up 50.6% of aggravated assault victims, and Hispanics and Latinos comprised 36.2%.
Of the 733 sexual assault offenses documented last year — which include rape, forcible sodomy, sexual assault with an object, and fondling, among others — 312 of the crimes were committed against black people (42.6%), and 277 were against Hispanics and Latinos (37.8%).
An ongoing staff shortage has limited the Dallas Police Department’s efforts at getting crime under control. It only has around 3,000 officers in the field at present despite a previous City analysis calling for closer to 4,000 to properly maintain public safety. Downtown Dallas has been especially affected by the shortage, with the neighborhood logging significantly higher crime rates than Fort Worth’s city center, which is patrolled by a specialized neighborhood police unit and private security guards.
Black and Hispanic people also made up the majority of kidnapping (84.6%) and human trafficking victims (63.3%).