The number of purchasing prostitution charges issued in Dallas proper has skyrocketed compared to last year.
According to the City of Dallas crime analytics dashboard, there have been 143 such offenses logged this year as of September 4, marking a 248.8% increase over the 41 incidents logged during the same period in 2023.
The shocking rise in solicitation of prostitution offenses likely stems in part from them actually being discovered by the Dallas Police Department through a number of high-profile sting operations that were executed earlier this year, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
It should be no surprise that the overwhelming majority of offenses (133) clocked this year took place in Council Member Omar Narvaez’s District 6, which is situated in northwestern Dallas.
DX reported on the pervasiveness of the sex trade in Narvaez’s district, where many residents and businesses have to live with scantily-clad women roaming the streets under the watchful eyes of pimps and traffickers.
The 10 other purchasing prostitution charges came from incidents in Council Member Jesse Moreno’s District 2 (9) and Council Member Jaynie Schultz’s District 11 (1).
DPD’s serious staffing shortage has had an impact on the department’s ability to get Dallas’ illicit sex trade under control.
“Officers don’t have enough resources. We are being destroyed by a lack of numbers,” local business owner Brandie Cox told DX earlier this summer. “Police need to ask for help. It’s an epidemic.”
Even though a prior City analysis advised that a force of roughly 4,000 officers was needed to ensure public safety, DPD fields only around 3,000. Closing this gap may be difficult this fiscal year given that the Dallas City Council approved a budget of only $654 million for DPD, which is far less taxpayer money directed to police than other high-crime jurisdictions, such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City.
Last year, there were 59 purchasing prostitution offenses logged across all 12 months. Some 53 were documented in District 6, three were clocked in District 2, and Districts 4, 11, and 12 each saw one.