North Texas cities intervening to help offenders predicted to repeat crimes
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) — It may sound like the plot of a science fiction movie, but police departments in two North Texas cities have launched new programs trying to predict who's most likely to commit future crimes.
"We're trying to take efforts before that next incident occurs," explains Garland Police Chief Jeff Bryan.
Garland Police Department this year started assigning points to repeat offenders in their areas, using a formula developed by criminologists to try to figure out who's at highest risk to re-offend.
Dallas Police will soon follow.
"There is a point system. Crime involving weapons for example would receive higher points," said Chief Bryan.
His department, he says, has identified about 200 people to start. A social worker he hired then reaches out to those on the list, letting them know they're on the department's radar and offering help.
"We do a very intense deep dive evaluation," said Christina Crain, founder and CEO of the nonprofit, Unlocking Doors. Her organization works with offenders on Garland's list to identify what's at the root of their criminal behavior.
"If you started as a juvenile offender, what made you do that? Were you in a gang? Was that your family component because you didn't like your true family?" she said.
The nonprofit often ends up connecting them with therapy and other services to address contributing factors.
"All the specific needs that they have from housing to employment, medical, mental health, substance abuse, treatment, transportation, I could go on and on," she said. "Nine times out of ten we find a solution and we find a way to work with them."
Both Crain and Chief Bryan say they were first approached with the idea by Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot, who wanted to launch the program in a smaller city to test it out.
In an interview with Creuzot, we asked if it was fair that the criminals with the worst behavior should be prioritized for help.
"If we want to stop violent crime from happening," he responded, "the worse you are, the more attention we should give you. It's not whether you deserve, or whether someone is more or less deserving, it's what should our response be."
Creuzot says, if the offenders do commit another serious crime, a special team of prosecutors will handle their cases and could recommend a tougher punishment.
"We know more about them," he explained. "That may cause us to make a different recommendation than had we not known."
The goal, though, every person we interviewed said, is to get people off a path of crime.
"That's really what this is – a way out," said Creuzot.
Succeeding at that, he says, would make us all safer.
The Garland Police Department has named its program FAIRE, Focused Accountability Intervention and Restoration Efforts.
Dallas Police has named its program VIPER, Violent Individuals Prevention Enforcement and Rehabilitation.