Dallas Mayor Discusses Plan Of Attack To Reduce Crime
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - After a staggering spike in Dallas violent crime numbers, police chief David Brown and Mayor Mike Rawlings met today to roll out a new plan to combat it.
Brown said the department will use state and federal resources to serve drug and domestic violence warrants, freeing up officers for patrols.
"Our crime analysis shows that the increases are related to domestic violence increases and drug-related crime increases," said Brown. He said the plan also involves changes to some 600 officers schedules, 240 of which will have their schedules changed immediately. "We must adapt to a changing environment with a sense of urgency. And we must reallocate resources to continue a 12 year reduction of crime," Rawlings said.
Rawlings said the city has seen record low crime for years, but that the national trend is higher crime rates, something Dallas is just starting to see. "Of particular concern to me, is the spike in crime in domestic violence. We must be better equip to deal with this issue, because these perpetrators are not just domestic abusers, they are drug dealers and other types of criminals," he said.
Brown said eventually, the department will need more officers with higher, more competitive pay. Ron Pinkston with the Dallas Police Association called the meeting a "dog and pony show."
"We are the seventh largest police department in the United States and we can't manage our resources properly, without getting a bailout from the state? We are the only city to do that. It's a reflection of leadership," said Pinkston, who has publicly pointed the finger squarely at Brown for the increased crime rate. He said their organization and other police groups have lost faith in Brown to lead.
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