Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson has asked the city's domestic violence task force to make recommendations that will help reduce violent crime in the city.
Johnson delivered a letter Tuesday afternoon to the head of the task force, Dallas Councilwoman Jennifer Staubach Gates, according to a news release.
In the letter, Johnson asked Gates to report back to him with “data supported and community-driven” recommendations by Oct. 1, which marks the start of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
The mayor is requesting that the recommendations be aimed at reducing family violence aggravated assaults by 25% over the next three years.
“We cannot accept the status quo, and we must continue to work, to the best of our ability, to stop the scourge of violence in the home and between intimate partners,” Johnson wrote in the letter. “And as with our broader violent crime issues, we must all commit to playing a part in the solution.”
According to the news release, Johnson directed the task force to focus its recommendations on five specific goals:
- Increase shelter space in Dallas to ensure no victim seeking assistance is unable to access accommodations and services.
- Ensure Dallas police officers, both patrol officers, and family violence detectives, have adequate training and tools needed to respond appropriately to domestic violence incidents.
- Integrate domestic violence education into Dallas and Richardson ISDs’ curriculum.
- Provide improved on-demand transportation services for victims of domestic violence.
- Identify obstacles or circumstances that increase the risk of severe injury or death for victims and create actionable plans to address these obstacles.
Family violence assaults increased by more than 2% in 2018. Dallas police also say 32 homicides last year were connected to domestic violence, according to city officials.
In January, Johnson issued a proclamation declaring 2020 to be "A Year of Nonviolence."
"Our great city had too much violence in the past year, and the victims were predominantly people of color. This has to change, and all of us in Dallas must work together to solve the challenges our communities face," Johnson said in a written statement.
Last year, the city of Dallas recorded 209 murders. It was the highest number since 2005, which had 202, a federally-reported statistic.
