DALLAS — The Dallas city council on Monday will receive a long awaited update from the Dallas Police Department on its efforts to reduce crime during a summer with an increase in violent crime.
The item was placed on the agenda late Friday at the request of multiple council members.
District 14 council member David Blewett said the briefing comes amid the council's on-going work to approve a budget in September.
"It’s challenging to fit it in but I think it’s critical, especially with the summer we’ve had, that we hear from DPD," Blewett said.
Stats released this weekend show the number of homicides through the period ending July 31 is 25-percent higher this year compared to 2018.
Blewett said he requested the briefing after two recent high profile killings in his east Dallas district.
Brandoniya Bennett was shot and killed while watching TV at home in the Roseland Townhomes in East Dallas on August 14. The 9-year old died after a suspect mistakenly shot into her apartment, attempting to a target a rival rapper.
Then five days later, a recent college graduate was kidnapped and murdered on her 22nd birthday, just a block away from busy restaurants and bars in Lower Greenville during daylight hours.
Dallas Police say surveillance video captured Sara Hudson being approached by a man in parking lot and forced back into her vehicle on August 19. Detectives arrested 49-year old Glen Richter two days later and charged him with capital murder.
The briefing will come on the day that Police Chief Renee Hall returns to work after an extended medical leave absence.
Blewett says he expects Hall to be at the briefing on Monday.
"I’ve been told she’ll be there, I don’t know to what extent she’ll be taking questions from us, but I’m glad to have her back," Blewett said.
The council will also receive a highly anticipated summary of a 6-month staffing survey for DPD patrol and investigative units.