City Leaders Meet Amid Dallas' Homicide Rate Surpassing 100
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) — As the Dallas homicide rate continues to increase, city leaders met to reassure concerned citizens that there is a plan.
The recent spike of violence in Dallas has pushed the number of murders in the city above 100 for the year, including nine that are unsolved.
At the University of North Texas' Dallas campus, people gathered and demanded answers as well as solutions from Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall.
Hall said Senator Royce West wanted to have a dialogue about a safer Dallas.
"This is just about bringing us up to date from where we are on a law enforcement perspective, but also finding out what other way is the community can work together," Hall said.
Leon Holennam, who attended the town hall meeting, argues that police can't fix societies issues.
"My major concern — which is the southern sector — is there's been no development," Holennam said. "There's no housing. The unemployment and housing are proportionate to the crime."
However, Texas Department of Public Safety's Jeoff Williams said the DPS has been working "hand-in-hand" with Dallas police following the crime surge and has seen some success the last few days.
"We're looking for violent criminals — and we've made 88 arrests as a result of that — and in just a few does we've made more," Williams said.
Earlier this month, Gov. Abbott directed the DPS to provide direct support to the Dallas Police Department in response to the surge.