The good news for residents living in the City of Dallas District 1 is Motor Vehicle Theft dropped nearly 25% in March of 2022. The unwelcome news, however, is District 1 still ranks as the district with the greatest crime increase in the city, earning its Councilman Chad West the dubious “Crime Boss of the Month” label for the second time this year.
The Dallas Express, The People’s Paper, believes that valuable information, such as crime rates and trends in the city, should be easily accessible to you.
Many are unaware that 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.
“Crime Boss of the Month” is a monthly title given by The Dallas Express to the Dallas City Council member whose district illustrates the most significant percentage increase (or smallest decrease) in crime.
Crime Still Remains an Issue for Dallas in April 2022
The crime of Motor Vehicle Theft continues to plague the City of Dallas, and when comparing crime stats between March 2021 and 2022, stolen vehicles shot up from 1,576 to 2,116, an increase of over 34%. (The Dallas district with the most car thefts in March 2022 was District 2, which has the largest population in the city.)
Last December in District 1, Motor Vehicle Thefts shot up 77% from 2020 to 2021, from 97 to 172, a feat that helped earn West the Crime Boss of the Month title for January.
At the time, West’s office told The Dallas Express, “Auto theft has increased citywide. 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).”
Comparing March 2022 to March 2021, auto theft in West’s District 1 actually fell from 150 to 113, but the district still had the highest increase in total crime.
It is unclear if changes made in District 1 led to the decrease in District 1 car thefts. The Dallas Express reached out to West’s office for comment regarding his second run-in with the Crime Boss of the Month moniker, but his office had not responded as of press time.
Overview of Dallas District 1 Crime Score by Category
The areas of crime that helped crown West April’s Crime Boss were: Larceny/Theft Offenses, Hazardous Traffic Violations, Public Intoxication, Drug/Narcotic Violations, Driving Under the Influence, Counterfeiting/Forgery/Fraud Offenses, Trespass of Real Property, Nonviolent Family Offenses, Disorderly Conduct, and Destruction/Damage/Vandalism of Property.
Combined, the ten categories above totaled 254 in March of 2022, up from 189 in March of the previous year, meaning 65 further instances of crimes in those particular categories were reported.
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.