Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Carolyn King Arnold of District 4 talked about a recent series of murders at a community meeting on public safety held on Thursday.
The Dallas Express attended the meeting at Paul L. Dunbar Library, where Arnold, Dallas ISD trustee Maxie Johnson, Deputy Chief Mark Villarreal and Major Majusta Allen of the Dallas Police Department, Victor Alvelais with Dallas CRED, and others listened to community members discuss recent violence in Oak Cliff and Dallas in general.
The speakers and attendees were deeply affected by the recent killings of 20-year-old Mavion Goldman and 30-year-old Shaketta Johnson, and Arnold revealed that violent crime has increased in District 4 in the past few weeks. “Previously, our statistics showed a decrease in crime. However, within the last three or four weeks, we have witnessed more activity. It makes you wonder if you are reading the same news because I refuse to believe this is happening,” Arnold stated. Data from the City’s crime analytics reveals that there were 13 murders in District 4 by April 18 this year. This represents a 62.5% increase in murders compared to the previous year. Citywide, there have been 63 murders this year. The
vast
majority of murder victims have been racial minorities. dashboardArnold mentioned the tragic fact that a total of 57 African Americans have been killed, 51 of them being males, with black men being victims of other black men. While addressing the recent murders, many discussed the issue of gun violence committed by young people, referring to the recent shooting at Wilmer-Hutchins High School. Johnson highlighted the challenge created by the absence of increased state taxpayer spending on security at a recent meeting. He emphasized that youth violence, especially involving guns, is a community issue and pointed out the influence parents have on their children, who mimic their behavior, including criminal behavior, with the resulting problems affecting communities and schools.
Johnson stressed the need to find solutions to keep guns away from children and described it as a collective problem.
Arnold’s Dallas 365 Safe project aims to mobilize all community stakeholders and improve communication between them to reduce violent crime. She emphasized the importance of a proactive approach, including launching grassroots initiatives to identify and engage those prone to violence, with the help of nonprofits like Dallas CRED, and maintaining communication with law enforcement. organized “If we hear gunshots at night, and we see people acting recklessly… There are 15 others on that block who also hear it. This has to become a collective effort now,” Arnold said.
"If you notice something, speak up. And if you are aware of something, take action. That is the only way we can have a community that is 365 Safe," she stated.
DPD officials also informed attendees that the doors to their divisions were always open and requested that community members — even those wishing to remain anonymous — come forward with information on crimes.
Acknowledging that DPD Police Chief Eddie Garcia’s top priority has been reducing violent crime, Deputy Chief Villarreal reassured attendees that he and other division commanders were working diligently to serve the community and promote public safety, even with a critical staffing deficit.
"Our men and women are working very hard out there on the streets every day," he said. "Are we short-staffed? Could we use more officers? Certainly."
He continued to state that DPD was attempting to enhance its efficiency through specific technologies, such as online reporting.
"So we’re trying to do that stuff [to be more proactive], but I can tell you that we look forward to working with our community members here in District 4," he added.
DPD fields around 3,000 officers citywide despite a City
calling for a force of around 4,000 to ensure public safety needs in a city the size of Dallas. Closing this gap is all the more difficult given that City leaders approved a
of just $654 million for DPD this fiscal year. This is considerably
spending on police than the sums allocated in other high-crime jurisdictions, including Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles.
Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Carolyn King Arnold of District 4 discussed a recent series of murders during a Thursday community meeting on public safety. The Dallas Express attended the meeting, which was convened at Paul L. Dunbar Library. Alongside Arnold, Dallas ISD trustee Maxie Johnson, Deputy Chief Mark Villarreal and Major Majusta Allen of the… report calling for a force of around 4,000 to ensure public safety needs in a city the size of Dallas. Closing this gap is all the more difficult given that City leaders approved a budget of just $654 million for DPD this fiscal year. This is considerably less spending on police than the sums allocated in other high-crime jurisdictions, including Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles.
