More than three dozen individuals have become the victims of criminal homicide this year, with the overwhelming majority logged as either black or Hispanic.
According to the City of Dallas crime analytics dashboard, as of March 8, out of the 38 murder and non-negligent manslaughter victims, 73.7% were black, 21.1% were Hispanic, and 5.2% were white. The median victim age across all racial categories was 25 years old, with the youngest victim being a 15-year-old Hispanic boy.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, men and boys of color comprised the majority of murder victims in 2023, during which murders increased by over 15% year over year. This year’s murder rate continues to trend above the one prior in terms of the share of black and Hispanic victims.
The most black or Hispanic murder victims were killed in Council Member Carolyn King Arnold’s District 4, which clocked eight incidents. The council district with the second-most murders of such victims was District 7, which Council Member Adam Bazaldua represents, with six, followed by Council Member Tennell Atkins’ District 8 at five.
Additionally, out of the 36 black and Hispanic murder victims this year, only two were female.
The Dallas Police Department has been having a tough time getting crime under control in recent years due to its ongoing staffing shortage, which has resulted in only around 3,000 officers on the street, even though a City analysis previously advised that closer to 4,000 would be more appropriate for a jurisdiction the size of Dallas.
Relatedly, the Dallas City Council only budgeted $654 million for DPD this fiscal year, significantly less than other high-crime jurisdictions, such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City.
