Crime is Down
And Dallas must continue to prioritize public safety in the upcoming budget discussions
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This week, the Dallas City Council will return from its summer recess. And in short order, the interim city manager’s upcoming proposed budget will be up for discussion.
Already, the interim city manager has been making some structural moves to improve governmental efficiency and save taxpayers money. These are much-needed steps in the right direction. And it will be critical to continue to cut red tape at City Hall and move Dallas forward.
When it comes to the upcoming budget, public safety must also remain the top priority.
Violent crime is once again down this year because of this city’s efforts — led by this Administration’s focus on public safety and a responsible and responsive government.
It will be critical to continue this momentum in the year ahead. Doing so will save lives and livelihoods.
When it comes to public safety, this city’s results have been remarkable — and the victories have been hard-won.
It has been almost four years since activists stood outside my home late at night to chant, shout expletives, and explicitly try to scare my kids. As you remember, their bullying back then was part of an intimidation campaign that called for the City Council to “defund” and “reimagine” (a euphemism for defund) the Dallas Police Department in favor of an ill-conceived spending spree on imaginary programs that had nothing to do with public safety. It came at a time when violent crime had been on the rise in Dallas — a trend that began prior to this Administration taking office.
I pushed back hard, calling for stronger law enforcement leadership and more robust and more accountable policing as part of a “kitchen-sink” approach that also included community-based violent-crime reduction efforts.
The City Council eventually agreed, and the results from 2021 through 2023 included three-straight years of year-over-year overall violent crime reduction, which bucked national trends at the time.
Of course, Dallas did hit a bit of a speed bump last year: murders were up over 2022, even though overall violent crime was down. I reported to you back in November that the “Dallas still must intensify its efforts to reduce violence” and could not rest on its laurels.
Now, through seven months of 2024, all major violent crime categories are down compared to where they stood at the same time last year.
Murders have had a significant decline — more than 21%. And the declines in aggravated assaults and robberies mean hundreds fewer victims of violence this year.
Each year crime drops, it becomes harder and harder to continue to drive decreases in the numbers over the prior year. The standard keeps getting higher — but Dallas continues to exceed it.
The police chief, his command team, and the men and women of the Dallas Police Department deserve immense credit for this work thanks to their evidence-based plans, strategies, and tactics. Communities who have stood up to violence have also earned this city’s gratitude. And this year’s Summer of Safety campaign has proven to once again be a success. The program, which this Administration started three years ago, is meant to give young people in Dallas the opportunity to get out, have fun, and stay out of trouble when they are out of school.
All of this work and the results show that Dallas is winning this battle against violence.
But the job is not yet done. Not by a long shot.
This city must stand up and continue to fight against violence. Dallas must put its resources in the annual budget toward making this a safe city where people can live, work, and play.
So as you listen to various proposals from your City Councilmembers during budget discussions this fall — as well as any ideas regarding changes to the City Charter — these are the questions that should define the discourse:
- How does this proposal put public safety first?
- How will this ensure Dallas maintains a strong police department that can fight violent crime?
- How will this enable and foster solutions that create safer communities?
- How will this ensure that your city government prioritizes spending its taxpayer dollars responsibly?
- How does this make Dallas safer, stronger, and more vibrant?
In other words, the city’s most important plans can’t be based on intimidation campaigns, politicking, backroom deals, power plays, or personal pettiness. City Hall must be focused on you and your family’s needs in the year ahead and in the years to come.
Remember: this city is much safer today because this Administration put public safety first four years ago. We have not relented on that approach — not one iota.
Imagine how much more can be done if this city continues to work together toward building safer communities and governing responsibly.
The next few months will be key to this fight. Hopefully, you will be part of it.
Stay tuned for more updates, stay engaged, and thank you for all that you do for your city.
