Violent Night Shines Light On Dallas Crime Struggles
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Four separate shootings in the Pleasant Grove area of Dallas late Sunday night left one person dead and several others injured. Chief David Brown of the Dallas Police Department pointed to the violence as an example of the volatile nature of crime right now in the city. And he is not wavering on his violent crime plan.
Sunday's shootings reaffirmed the elevated concern over violent crime growth in Dallas. Brown restated again on Monday that violence tied to domestic confrontations, coupled with assaults tied to drug dealings, are the fuel in the city's current firefight with crime.
The designated Violent Crime Task Force is scheduled to patrol the area where Sunday night's violence occurred.
Fear, coupled with frustration, is a fact of life for many residents living in the southern quadrants of Pleasant Grove, Buckner Terrace and South Dallas neighborhoods.
"People don't feel safe on the wrong street anymore," said Dallas City Council member Tiffani Young about the crime numbers in the city. "In my home, I experienced two crimes on the rise. My car was stolen and I had a home burglary."
Brown said on Monday that he would take on any criticism that comes his way in light of the violent outbreaks in the Pleasant Grove neighborhood. "I'm still responsible for the public safety of the city," he explained. "No excuses here. You won't hear me asking for excuses about the challeneges we face. We're up to the challenge as well."
Young supports Brown's plan to move more police officers to identified crime spots. But she also believes that residents want consistency. "I want a plan to be sustainable, and not just a Band-Aid," Young said. "People are legitimately concerned about the rise in crime."
"We're determined to get control of this," Brown said. "We have to lower the violence in the city. We're determined to make it happen." The chief added that overall crime in Dallas is down, and there have only been two homicides so far in April.