District 1 has the smallest population of the Dallas City Council’s 14 districts, at 77,916 residents (District 14, Dallas’ largest, has a population of 106,927). Yet District 1 has frequently outpaced its larger counterparts when it comes to increases in crime, illustrating the greatest growth across multiple categories in 2022.
As a result, District 1’s representative, Councilman Chad West, was named The Dallas Express‘ “Crime Boss of the Month” for June, the third time he has received the distinction in the last six months.
In January, West told The Dallas Express that he does not believe criminals pay attention to council district boundaries. He added that he supports the Dallas Police Department’s efforts to reduce crime across the city and to assist with reviewing police policies.
Last year, West formed and appointed members to a District 1 Public Safety Advisory Committee, which provides feedback to him on criminal issues in the district and related policies. Thus far, those efforts are not working, according to crime stats.
Chad West Sees a 54.9% Increase in Crime Score for May 2022
District 1 saw 169 more crimes committed in May of ’22 than in May of ’21, giving the region a Crime Score increase of a staggering 54.9%, the most massive increase in Crime Boss history.
The Dallas Express, The People’s Paper, believes that important information, such as crime rates and trends in the city, should be easily accessible to you. Dallas has more crime per capita than hotspots like Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and New York, according to our data from the FBI’s UCR database.
That is why the “Crime Boss of the Month” is a monthly title given to the Dallas City Council member whose district has experienced the greatest percentage increase (or most minor decrease) in crime.
West has served on the Dallas City Council as a member of District 1 since June 2019 and is now the mayor pro tempore. District 1 includes the Bishop Arts District and West Oak Cliff.
Overview of Dallas District 1 Crime Score by Category
A total of 562 crimes were committed in District 1 in May ’22, a whopping increase from 393 in May ’21 with 169 additional crimes. Half of the 30 crime categories saw growth, ranking District 1 first for the most significant crime jump in the city that month.
Residents living in the City of Dallas District 1 got some good news in April, as Motor Vehicle Theft dropped nearly 25% in March of ’22 compared to March of ’21. The unwelcome news for June, however, is that the category made a speedy “recovery” last month: Motor Vehicle Thefts led the district in reports for May, up from 115 in ’21 to 176 in ’22.
“Auto theft has increased citywide,” West told The Dallas Express in April. “The Southwest Patrol Division is using bait cars when they are available and is attempting to interview every person that is arrested for UUMV (Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle).”
More unwelcome news is District 1 saw a major increase in Larceny/Theft Offenses, Destruction/Damage/Vandalism of Property, Drug/Narcotic Violations and Robberies, Public Intoxication, and Burglary/Breaking & Entering. Reports in each of these categories ballooned when comparing May of this year to May of last, with increases of 61, 41, 32, 21, 13, 11, and 10, respectively.
The Dallas Express again reached out to West’s office to inquire if District 1’s Public Safety Advisory Committee has brought the council member any new information and how the district has continued its attempts to combat crime. At the time of press, no reply 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.
For more Dallas crime-related news, see how Jesse Moreno, Dallas City Council member, was named Crime Boss of the Month for November.