Criminal activity in Downtown Dallas again outpaced reported incidents in Fort Worth’s city center, with a recent study finding significantly more crime in the former during May.
According to the Metroplex Civic & Business Association’s (MCBA) monthly comparative study, 49 motor vehicle thefts were reported in the Central Business District of Dallas, while only six such incidents were logged in Fort Worth’s downtown neighborhood.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Dallas has been seeing record-breaking numbers of auto thefts, becoming ground zero for this crime in North Texas.
Significant disparities were also clocked in terms of assault offenses, theft, instances of vandalism, and robberies.
Downtown Dallas saw 80 assaults, 66 thefts, 22 vandalism or destruction of property incidents, and eight robberies. In contrast, Fort Worth’s city center logged seven assaults, 20 thefts, two vandalism incidents, and zero robberies.
Notably, a special police unit that works in collaboration with private security guards patrols Fort Worth’s downtown area.
The Dallas Police Department has been short-staffed for years now. Although a prior City analysis recommended roughly 4,000 officers to reduce police response times and properly ensure public safety, only around 3,000 officers are currently on the street.
Additionally, City officials have allocated DPD much less taxpayer money than police departments in other high-crime cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City. The Dallas City Council approved DPD a budget of just $654 million this fiscal year.
Downtown Dallas is represented by Council Members Jesse Moreno (District 2) and Paul Ridley (District 14). Each council member represents roughly half of the neighborhood.