Downtown Dallas has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons the last several days as the neighborhood continues to reel from violent criminal activity.
On Thursday, police responded to a shocking, seemingly random act of violence that was caught on video.
In the video, a man walks up behind an unsuspecting woman and hits her in the head with an unidentified object. The woman falls to the ground and remains still as the man crosses the street as if he did not just commit a violent felony.
Notice that the individuals who witnessed the horrific assault simply kept strolling along, not assisting the injured woman.
The incident happened in broad daylight at around 1:15 p.m. near the intersection of N. Field Street and Main Street in Council Member Paul Ridley’s District 14.
“We’re horrified by this unprovoked attack. Nearby Downtown Dallas, Inc. (DDI), Security officers were on scene moments after it happened. We are praying for the victim’s recovery and working with law enforcement to locate the attacker,” said Jennifer Scripps, CEO and president of Downtown Dallas Inc., per WFAA.
“Our partners at Dallas City Hall share in our outrage and we will work together to ensure Downtown remains a safe place for all residents, workers, and visitors. We have zero tolerance for violent crime,” she added.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, monthly comparative studies by the Metroplex Civic & Business Association show how criminal activity in the Central Business District regularly outpaces crime in Fort Worth’s city center. The latter is patrolled by private security guards and a special neighborhood police unit.
The unprovoked assault on the woman happened roughly one hour after an unidentified suspect shot three individuals — including a juvenile — in The Continental at Mercantile apartments at 1810 Commerce St. in Council Member Jesse Moreno’s District 2.
Downtown Dallas is split roughly in half between Districts 2 and 14.
“I peeked my head out my door, and a man was walking towards me with his… holding his guts, saying, ‘Help! I’ve been shot!’” Carollee Padilla recalled to Fox 4 KDFW about the aftermath of the shooting.
“My lease isn’t supposed to be up until later this year, but let me tell you, it ends today,” Dayana Bailey, another building resident, told The Dallas Morning News. “I don’t feel safe anymore.”
The Dallas Police Department has focused on deterring violent crime over the last three years, but it has been hindered in its efforts by a chronic shortage of officers. The department has only around 3,000 on the force, despite a prior City analysis that advised a force of about 4,000 for a jurisdiction of Dallas’ size.
In addition, City leaders have given the DPD a budget of only $654 million this fiscal year, far less than the budgets of other high-crime cities, such as New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles.