Councilwoman Carolyn King Arnold Sees 14% Increase in Crime Score

The Crime Boss for December 2021 is Carolyn King Arnold, Council Member for District 4. The district’s Crime Score jumped from 208 in November 2020 to 238 in November 2021, an increase of 14%.

At The Dallas Express, The People’s Paper, we believe that you should have easy access to important information, like crime rates and trends throughout the city. That is why every month, the Dallas City Council Member with the greatest percentage increase (or smallest decrease) in their district’s crime is named the Dallas “Crime Boss of the Month.”

Arnold has been District 4’s council member since December of 2018. She was most recently reelected in June of 2021, and her current term ends in 2023.

Overview of Dallas District 4 Crime Score by Category

The most significant jump in District 4’s crime, like last month’s District 11, was motor vehicle theft. The number of thefts skyrocketed from 79 in November 2020 to 128 in November 2021.

Drug and narcotic violations also saw a notable uptake in November 2021 compared to November 2020, with a further 23 incidents occurring in November of this year.

Additionally, District 4 saw growth in destruction, damage, and vandalism of property, with 11 more occurrences this November. A similar upsurge occurred in burglary and breaking, with ten further instances this year as opposed to last.

District 4 ranks tenth of fourteen districts in population. The region is home to 89,903 residents, over 17,000 less than Dallas’ most populous, District 14. Yet the more densely populated region saw a decrease in crime of 2%, while the crime in Arnold’s district increased by 14%.

To compare regions with a more similar population size, our Crime Boss’ District 4 saw a 3% higher increase in Crime Score than the next largest region, District 13, which has 91,161 residents, yet saw a rise of only 11%.

District 4 was one of only three districts whose crime was greater in November 2021 than in November 2020. Both of the other districts whose Crime Scores for November increased (District 13 with 11% and District 11 with 10%) are more densely populated. Yet, District 4’s increase is 3 and 4 percentage points greater than each of these regions, respectively.

In September 2020, Council Member Arnold voted “no” on an amendment that would have allowed the Dallas Police Department to hire more officers.

This has not been the first time Arnold has had an increase in crime in her district. In November 2020, she issued a statement after a notable increase in crime in District 4.

She said in a statement, “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.”

She continued by saying, “As a member of the Public Safety Council Committee, the safety of District 4 residents is my primary focus.”

The Dallas Express reached out to Councilwoman Aronald to ask about the increase in crime in her district and how she intended to fight crime in the future. She did not respond to our request for comment at the time of publishing.

It is unclear if she has taken any action to attempt to reduce crime in her district since her November 2020 statement.

During a January 2021 City Council meeting, our Crime Boss commented, “[We have to] wean people off … their addiction to calling the police every time something comes up.”

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.