A quiet morning in Cedar Hill was shattered by the sound of gunfire on Tuesday as the small town marked its first homicide of the year.
Multiple callers reported hearing several gunshots shortly after 5:30 a.m., according to the Cedar Hill Police Department (CHPD). The callers also reported seeing a vehicle leave the area.
Officers responding to the scene in the 800 block of Bailey Drive discovered an adult female in the home with apparent gunshot wounds.
Although first responders attempted first aid and other life-saving measures, the injured woman was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. Several other occupants were inside the home during the incident but were uninjured.
Detectives are investigating the shooting and ask anyone with information about the incident to contact Det. Rhoden at 972-291-5181 ext. 2187.
The shooting is the first homicide this year in the small town. Meanwhile, nearby Dallas, about 16 miles northwest of Cedar Hill, has logged 50 murders so far this year. Last year, 246 murders were reported in Dallas, a 15% increase over 2022.
Crime statistics reported by CHPD show that through February 2024, Cedar Hill saw zero homicides. As of February, CPHD has reported a total of 137 major offenses, 85 of which are larceny-related crimes. The remainder includes 26 motor vehicle thefts, 16 burglaries, six aggravated assaults, three robberies, and one rape.
In contrast, Dallas has seen 38 murders through that period, according to the City’s crime analytics dashboard. In all of 2023, the Dallas Police Department reported 246 murders, a number that jumped nearly 15% from 2022. As of February, there has been a total of 2,270 larceny-related crimes, 1,912 motor vehicle thefts, 1,026 burglaries, 895 aggravated assaults, 358 robberies and 32 rapes in Dallas.
As of March 27, Dallas reports a rate of 3.38 murders per 100,000 residents.
According to the World Population Review, Cedar Hill has a population of just over 47,500 as of 2024, and Dallas has a population of over 1,295,400.
The high rates of Dallas crime are directly linked to staffing shortages within the Dallas Police Department, according to Metroplex Civic & Business Association CEO Louis Darrouzet. Dallas currently employs around 3,000 officers despite a City analysis that states Dallas needs at least 4,000 officers to properly maintain public safety.
“Higher levels of police presence make crime less likely to occur. The City of Dallas must get crime under control if it hopes to retain the businesses that are there and attract new ones,” said Darrouzet.
With a budget of only $654 million allocated for DPD this fiscal year, Dallas City Council spends less money on public safety than other high-crime jurisdictions, such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City.
Crime is particularly rampant in Downtown Dallas, which regularly logs more crime than Fort Worth’s city center, which is patrolled by a dedicated police unit and private security guards.