Dallas’ Overall Crime Rate is Down

DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF News) – The Dallas City Council’s Public Safety Committee got some not-so-good news on Monday.

The latest crime report showed the rate of increase in property crimes is down, but violent crime is still way up. “It’s still a 10.5% increase in violent crime. Property crime is down to an 8.7%, which gives us a total increase of 2.5%,” said Acting Chief David Pughes. “The last time we were here it was up 2.94%, so we’re continuing to see a very gradual reduction in that overall number.”

Pughes also told the committee response times are way too slow, but that’s not unexpected given that the force is down more than 300 officers from this time last year. “It’s completely unacceptable,” said Pughes. “We’re down 25 individuals in the Expediter Unit, which is the unit we assign people to call back complainants and take reports over the phone once the suspect is long gone. That’ll be one place we will be looking to do some improvement.”

Meanwhile, a new $1.5 million grant will help police and fire better respond to calls involving behavior health emergencies. The money from the W.W. Caruth Jr. Foundation will be dispersed over the next three years and will fund a pilot program that starts in early 2017. The program partners specially-trained first-responders with mental health experts who will respond as a team. It will also decrease the need to use already strained resources throughout Dallas.