Shooting At Dallas Police Substation Renews Calls For Added Security
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The City of Dallas is feeling new pressure to increase security for police officers after a driveby shooting narrowly missed a police officer and left a substation covered in bullet holes.
The reason an officer was stationed at the South Central Patrol Substation in front of the building was to help with security, but that made him an easy driveby target.
Now many are calling for better ways to safeguard police buildings and the officers in them.
Police believe the three bullets that hit the substation were among those intended for the officer out front.
In a news conference at police headquarters, Assistant Chief Randy Blankenbaker said the department will revisit improvements for station and officer security.
"Obviously security costs money, right? And when we talk about challenges, that's another challenge," Blankenbaker said.
President of the Dallas Police Association Michael Mata was even more blunt about what's holding up longtime plans for physical improvements.
"Typical city of Dallas measures. It takes too many people to put a signature on a piece of paper to push it through too many desks through too many offices to get it done. This is something that needs to be done, and it needs to be done quickly," Mata said.
Since a gunman shot up Dallas Police Headquarters nearly two years ago, Mata said the department has been trying to get approval for changes like bulletproof glass and fencing around police stations.
Mata hopes this latest incident will be another wakeup call for the city and that the public will help out the department.
"What we need them to do is to press upon their city leaders, their elected city leaders, it is time for them to do the job that they were elected to do. Don't kick the can for the next council, for the next mayor. Let's fix our problems today," Mata said.
CBS 11 reached out to Mayor Rawlings for comment and is waiting to hear back.