City of Dallas District 1 and Chad West, the region’s city council representative, saw a crime score increase of 54.9% between May ’21 and ’22 – earning the councilman The Dallas Express‘ “Crime Boss of the Month” title for the third time in six months. The score more than doubled that of all other 14 City of Dallas Districts sans one: District 4.
City of Dallas District 4 has generally been in the top five for increased crime since last December, when the “Crime Boss” feature was first imagined. The district’s representative, Councilwoman Carolyn King Arnold, earned Crime Boss of the Month in January.
At The Dallas Express, The People’s Paper, we believe you should have easy access to critical information, like crime rates and trends throughout the city. That is why each month, the Dallas City Council Member with the greatest percentage increase (or most minor decrease) in their district’s crime is named The Dallas Express‘ Crime Boss of the Month.
When comparing data from May ’21 to May ’22, District 4 saw a 28.47% increase (second only to the rise in District 1 of 54.9%). Of the 30 crime categories listed on Dallas Open Data, District 4 saw no improvement in nearly two-thirds of them, with higher numbers reported in 12 categories and no change in nine.
Topping the list for increased reports was the category of Motor Vehicle Theft, which continues to dominate police reports in the City of Dallas. District 4 saw 100 more instances of the crime in May ’22 than May ’21 (up from 64 to 164).
Assault Offenses in District 4 increased 56.7% in that time (up from 67 to 105) and were joined by the crime categories of Destruction/Damage/Vandalism of Property (up from 48 to 65) in witnessing double-digit increases when comparing May ’21 to May ’22.
The other crime categories that saw additional reports in District 4 in May 2022 were:
- Burglary/Breaking & Entering: Up from 27 to 42.
- Robbery: Up from 22 to 29.
- Fraud Offenses: Up from five to 11.
- Homicide Offenses: Up from zero to three.
- Animal Offenses: Up from zero to three.
- Nonviolent Family Offenses: Up from one to three.
- Arson: Up from one to two.
- Non-Hazardous Traffic Violations: Up from one to two.
In June, days after a shooting that killed a teenager, the City of Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia met with community members in South Oak Cliff about improving public safety in District 4, The Dallas Express reports.
Charles Martin, the senior pastor at Union Church of Polk Street, said during the meeting that several people in his church are concerned about the response of the police to the violent crime.
“They’re concerned about police response time in our area and safety in our area, be it for children or adults,” Martin said. “I would like to talk with our Southwest Patrol Division chief so we can improve it.”
Since taking over as chief in 2021, Chief Garcia has made violent crime his priority, according to The Dallas Express.
Garcia claims that despite the City’s $500 million budget, he still lacks the workforce required.
“Even if I could snap my fingers now and miraculously say I’m going to have 400 more officers, I can’t absorb 400 more officers right now,” Garcia said. “I don’t have the recruiting. I don’t have the academy space. I don’t have enough trainers and supervision.”
The Dallas PD chief spoke with the City’s public safety committee about several possible strategies for improving response times. The first proposal was to delegate non-emergency calls to a “civilian unit;” another was to have police reports submitted online, The Dallas Morning News writes.
Arnold, a member of the safety committee and host of the meeting with Dallas Police brass, voted “no” on an amendment that would have allowed the Dallas Police Department to hire more officers in September 2020, The Dallas Express reports.
Still, following a crime increase in District 4 in November ’21, Arnold issued a statement and voiced her concerns.
“I am concerned with the escalation of crime in District 4 over the past week, and I am asking that we all come together to stabilize our community and city,” Arnold said. “As a member of the Public Safety Council Committee, the safety of District 4 residents is my primary focus.”
Recently, members of the Dallas City Council and Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson were considering firing or disciplining City Manager T.C. Broadnax based on his job performance, but Arnold was not among them, The Dallas Express reported on June 11.
Part of the city manager’s responsibilities is overseeing the City, which oversees the police department. The city manager also oversees the City’s budget, which funds the police department.
Still, Arnold, along with Councilmembers Jaime Resendez, Omar Narvaez, and Paul Ridley, voiced their support of Broadnax. Arnold said firing Broadnax was “not in the best interests of this city,” saying that he should keep his job because he is “making progress” in addressing the city’s problems.
The Dallas Express has continually requested comment from Arnold’s office on the increase in crime within District 4 but has never received a response.
The Dallas Express again reached out to see what is being done in District 4 to combat the rise in crime, as well as to inquire if Arnold still has faith in how the city manager is addressing City problems, but at the time of press, no response had been submitted.
How did your area stack up on crime? Check out our interactive Crime Map to compare all Dallas City Council Districts. Curious how we got our numbers? Check out our methodology page here.