More black people have been murdered in Council Member Adam Bazaldua’s District 7 this year than in any other City Council district in Dallas.
According to the City of Dallas victim demographics dashboard, 108 of the 195 murder victims logged citywide as of October 6 were black. Ninety were male, and 18 were female, with ages ranging from 1-75 years old. They comprised more than 55% of the city’s murder victims this year.
Some 23 black individuals were murdered in District 7, which is located just east of Downtown. The district borders I-45 to the west and I-30 to the north. It includes Fair Park and the neighborhoods on either side of Samuell Boulevard.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the Dallas Police Department has been understaffed for years, maintaining a force of fewer than 3,200 officers. A City report, however, claims Dallas needs roughly 4,000 sworn personnel. The shortage has been felt in Downtown Dallas, which records significantly more crime than Fort Worth’s downtown area. The latter has a special police unit working alongside private security officers.
The council district with the second-most black murder victims logged was Council Member Tennell Atkins’ District 8 with 19, followed by Council Member Carolyn King Arnold’s District 4 with 17. No other council district in Dallas had more than nine black murder victims this year.
It is worth noting that District 8 has seen a significant year-over-year increase in murders of black individuals. Last year, DPD logged 14 black murder victims through October 6. The number has spiked by more than 35% in 2023.
Murders have been up citywide, with 195 clocked so far this year, an increase of over 9% compared to the same period in 2022, according to the City of Dallas crime overview dashboard.
“You cannot have public safety if you don’t have community and law enforcement and all other stakeholders working together, for real, with a common cause to impact crime and affect [positive change] in neighborhoods,” said Antong Lucky, president of the anti-violence group Urban Specialists, previously telling The Dallas Express about the problems with public safety in Dallas.