As we enter the final quarter of 2022, a quick look back at crime statistics from the previous nine months can give some helpful insight into where the City of Dallas is headed as the year draws to a close.
From January through September this year, the City of Dallas’ monthly Crime Scores (using statistics from December through August) averaged 230 points. This is an increase compared to the same nine-month period in 2021, when the City’s Crime Score averaged 225.8.
The Dallas Express Crime Score is a metric used to track the number and severity of crimes in each of the 14 districts of the City of Dallas. The more heinous crimes, such as Homicide and Kidnapping, are weighted more heavily in calculating the overall score than minor infractions such as Non-Hazardous Traffic Violations and Gambling Offenses.
The City of Dallas Crime Score has yo-yoed over the course of that timespan, and twice as many months saw increases versus decreases. Six of the nine months saw increases in the Crime Score, with only three months seeing decreases. The most significant increase was reported in the January Crime Boss installment, when Dallas’ December 2021 statistics caused the city’s collective Crime Score to spike by 8.04% compared to the same month of the previous year.
That city-wide December increase was propelled in large part by crimes in District 1, led by January’s Crime Boss of the Month (CBOM), Chad West. His district’s Crime Score for December increased by 21% compared to December 2020.
June’s Crime Boss report saw the second-highest Crime Score increase this year after May’s totals jumped 6.75% over May 2021. Once again, the district leading the crime wave that month was District 1, led by repeat Crime Boss Councilman Chad West. District 1 reported a staggering 54.9% more crime in May 2022 than in the previous May.
The remaining Dallas monthly Crime Score increases are as follows:
February Crime Boss, January data — +5.26%.
March Crime Boss, February data — +4.19%.
May Crime Boss, April Data — +1.69%.
July Crime Boss, June Data — +1.30%.
Most recently, Dallas’ Crime Score has decreased, falling by 3.21% in July and 4.59% in August for the August and September Crime Boss installments, respectively. It remains to be seen whether the city can maintain a downward-trending Crime Score through the end of the year. Historically, crime tends to increase during the holiday season.
On September 30, 2022, the Dallas Police Department (DPD) and Dallas Fire Rescue announced their public rollout of “what3words” location technology for their employees’ use. The application gives callers an easier way to describe precisely where they are when law enforcement’s help is needed, according to The DPD Beat.
The app designers divided the entire world into three-meter squares and assigned each square a unique combination of three words.
“A caller can use the app, or online map system to provide the three words to a 911 call taker, and can then be used to identify the precise location and direct resource to exactly where it is required,” DPD Beat reports.
“Being able to get a location quickly is everything in an emergency situation because time is crucial,” DPD Chief Eddie Garcia said. “An additional tool like what3words will help us find a location quickly and respond to an emergency faster to get help to those who need it.”
DPD’s newest application will likely be put to the test shortly and often.
The Dallas Express, The People’s Paper, believes that important information about the city, such as crime rates and trends, should be easily accessible to you. Dallas has more crime per capita than hotspots like Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and New York, according to data from the FBI’s UCR database.
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.
