More than 9,700 vehicles have been stolen in Dallas proper this year, according to the City of Dallas crime analytics dashboard.
Data shows that the Dallas Police Department fielded 9,793 reports of motor vehicle theft as of August 21, logging a decline from the 11,479 documented during the same period in 2023.
Nevertheless, the figure remains staggeringly high, and motor vehicle theft is ranking as the second-most common criminal offense this year, behind only simple assault.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, auto thefts reached record highs in the city last year, making Dallas one of the worst cities in the United States for motor vehicle theft.
One man who refused to just be a victim recently shared his story with Fox 4 KDFW. He was leaving a restaurant off Lovers Lane in 2022 when a group of criminals tried to carjack them.
“PTSD is a real thing, and you don’t want to shoot anybody,” Jack Hobbs told the news outlet. “But you know when you have to defend yourself and a friend, you’ll do it.”
A shootout ensued in which Hobbs managed to wound Lequezio Dade, who was charged and convicted. One of Dade’s accomplices was also convicted on charges of aggravated robbery. The third suspect’s case is still pending.
“It’s vehicles that are being stolen for parts. It’s vehicles that are then sold. It’s vehicles that some we’ve seen in terms of teens joyriding,” DPD’s Kristin Lowman told Fox 4, speaking about what is driving motor vehicle thefts in the city.
DPD has been dealing with a serious staffing shortage for years. Only around 3,000 officers are currently in the field, despite a prior City analysis advising that a force of roughly 4,000 is needed to police a city the size of Dallas properly.
Relatedly, the Dallas City Council approved a budget of only $654 million for DPD, which is far less taxpayer money directed to public safety than in other high-crime jurisdictions.