DALLAS — At four days into January 2024, five people were killed in Dallas.
It's frustrating for Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia to start the year seeing homicides in his city.
"What concerns me the most is the last two homicides we had, one was a known drug dealer and the other happened inside a residence," said Garcia.
In 2023, there were 32 more murders in Dallas than 2022, up nearly 14%. Of those murders, Garcia said 70% of victims were involved in criminal activity or high-risk behavior. Garcia confirmed 60% of the murders were inside apartment complexes or residences.
"These aren't necessarily random acts of violence that are occurring," he said.
Garcia said most of the victims and suspects knew each other in some way.
"There are no quick fixes," Garcia said.
The crime plan won't solve problems overnight, but he believes it is working. In 2023, aggravated assaults decreased by nearly 18%, robbery went down nearly 8%, and total violent crime went down nearly 14%.
Garcia said wants the homicide numbers to drop too, and that proactive policing is part of the strategy. He also said continued partnerships with the school district and community organizations are crucial.
"I just came back a couple of weeks ago with one of my partners, Antong Lucky from Urban Specialists. We went to Tennessee. I went to the prison and spoke to individuals, some of who are going to be paroled back to Dallas," said Garcia.
"It is part of our focus deterrence strategy, where law enforcement can really deliver a message to those who are more likely to commit violent crime," Lucky said.
Lucky said Garcia is the first chief he's brought to visit a prison to connect and share the message of reducing crime with prisoners who will re-enter the community. He said it was impactful and hopes to do it again.
At Urban Specialists, Lucky and his team are on the streets daily, offering resources and mentorship to communities with high crime.
"I think if we stay that course that, eventually, for 2024, we are going to see a decrease in those murders," said Lucky.
While homicide numbers are ahead in this new year, Lucky and Garcia are motivated to make Dallas safer in 2024.