Public safety priority stats for October 2020
The following was adapted from my newsletter.
Last week, I requested that the city manager produce a monthly report on public safety priorities in Dallas. Late yesterday, he delivered the first report, which reflects where Dallas stood on October 31.
This will serve as a baseline for reports throughout the fiscal year, which began October 1. Another report with more up-to-date statistics is due on December 1.
Here are the October numbers, and here is a link to the full report.
Task Force on Safe Communities implementation
Number of new streetlights installed as part of the Priority Improvement Zones: 173
Number of new streetlights installed as part of the Digital Divide and Strategic Streetlighting Plan: 0
Number of new streetlights installed as part of the environmental improvements for crime prevention plan: 0
Number of blighted properties remediated by Neighborhood Nuisance Abatement: 1,008
Number of blighted properties remediated by the Office of Integrated Public Safety Solutions, utilizing Code Compliance personnel within Risk Terrain Area: 66
Number of violence interrupters funded by the City of Dallas: 0
Murders
Total number of murders and non‐negligent homicides year‐to‐date: 199
Murder victims by race/ethnicity
Black: 114
Hispanic: 57
White: 23
Other/unknown: 5
Murders by City Council district
District 1: 12
District 2: 12
District 3: 12
District 4: 22
District 5: 11
District 6: 27
District 7: 40
District 8: 18
District 9: 7
District 10: 18
District 11: 8
District 12: 2
District 13: 4
District 14: 6
(For your reference, here is a map of City Council districts. You can also find your representatives here).
Total number of murders and non‐negligent homicides during the current year in which no arrest has been made: 71
911 calls
Number of 911 call takers on staff: 72 (full staffing is 98)
Average 911 call holding time, in minutes and seconds: 17 seconds
Police civilianization, hiring, and overtime
Total amount of overtime funding expended to date in the current fiscal year: $2.5 million
Total Dallas Police Department overtime budget allocated for the current fiscal year: $17.3 million
Total number of jobs transitioned from sworn officers to non‐sworn employees as part of KPMG civilianization plan: 0
Total number of police officers and trainees hired year‐to‐date: 0
Total number of police officers and trainees who have resigned, retired, or have been terminated: 12
Total number of police department civilian employees hired: 8
Total number of police department civilian employees who have resigned, retired, or have been terminated: 6
Police response times
Median police response times to priority 1 calls: 6 minutes, 1.2 seconds
Percentage of priority 1 calls receiving a response in under 8 minutes: 64.26%
Median police response times to priority 2 calls: 13 minutes, 43.2 seconds
As you can see, improvements are needed. Even though it’s only one month into the fiscal year, many of the persistent problems that Dallas has had over the years — such as response times and 911 call taker staffing — continue to be issues.
In addition, the amount spent on police overtime is on track to exceed the budget after the City Council, over my strenuous objection, voted to slash the police overtime budget by 25%, despite the sharp increases in violent crime.
And while the Task Force on Safe Communities blight remediation efforts are beginning, the plans for lighting and violence interrupters have yet to be implemented.
As policymakers in this form of government, which gives all executive authority to an unelected city manager, our role is to provide direction and oversight on behalf of the people of Dallas.
We must stay on top of these numbers and call for accountability from City Hall. The violent crime numbers remain unacceptably high, particularly in underserved neighborhoods. An all-hands-on-deck approach from law enforcement and the community is needed to help the victims of crime and prevent future crimes from occurring.
Public safety must be the top priority. Every Dallas resident deserves to live in a safe community.
Thanks for reading. Stay safe out there. And remember to mask up, keep your distance, and practice good hygiene to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
