DALLAS — Dallas police will increase its efforts to patrol the Deep Ellum area with a new unit dedicated solely to the neighborhood, officials have announced.
The move comes as Deep Ellum, a popular entertainment district east of downtown, has dealt with several shootings over the past year, including a fatal shooting over the weekend.
Aereon Johnson, 20, was killed early Saturday morning near Clover Street in Deep Ellum, police said.
Police have had efforts to increase security and patrols in Deep Ellum in recent months, in response to other shootings, but the new patrol unit will add more, Dallas City Councilman Jesse Moreno said.
Moreno supported the move for a new police unit for Deep Ellum. The new unit will get rolled out this fall.
"You're going to see officers who are approaching people who are perhaps drinking on the sidewalks," Moreno said. "We want to make sure that we're addressing violent crime, but that we're also addressing quality of life issues that could lead up to something more violent."
Moreno said officers "will have a special relationship with the business owners, and we'll be able to identify, 'Hey, this looks out of place.'"
Deep Ellum business owners have said they've been proactive in addressing safety and security concerns in the area. Earlier this year, the Deep Ellum Foundation told WFAA that there are about 25 surveillance cameras positioned around Deep Ellum, and the foundation also opened a command center on Main Street in February, where security officers can watch live cameras in various zones of the neighborhood.
Jeff Brightwell, an owner and managing partner at Dot’s Hop House and Cocktail Courtyard in Deep Ellum is thrilled about the new unit.
“I think that’s wonderful news," Brightwell said. “It’s that overall feeling of hey, this is safe and well taken care of.”
Jeff Brightwell told WFAA he wants more collaboration between businesses and the new police unit.
“We can work together much more effectively and efficiently and save the department time and resources by having that," Brightwell said. “We’ve never asked for more police, just more policing. And by having a dedicated unit down here, they learn our unique problems.”
Friday evening, Randy Morris, a musician with a new Ellum band, told WFAA that sunset means it’s time for his band to pack up and go home.
“I love being here when the sun is still out,” Morris said. “There are some times that it doesn’t feel quite as safe at night.”
The command center has also been a hub where Dallas Police Department, Code Compliance staff, Dallas Fire-Rescue, and homeless case workers huddle to discuss enforcement strategies for any given night in Deep Ellum.
Already, the Deep Ellum Foundation has worked on improving traffic in the area, adding cameras and a command center in the neighborhood.
Deep Ellum Foundation’s Executive Director Stephanie Keller-Hudiburg praised DPD’s new unit, saying in a statement:
“This is an important step forward and we look forward to continuing to realize the vision set forth in the Deep Ellum community safety plan championed by Councilman Moreno and crafted in collaboration with DPD, DEF, DECA and the Deep Ellum community. We are not there yet and there is much work still to do. In particular, advancing proactive strategies that help us work smarter and not harder and maximize a range of resources not just including DPD’s but private and other city departments will be critical.”
Deep Ellum this summer also re-launched its rideshare "flow zones" for pickups and drop-offs. Police earlier this year began blocking off certain roads in Deep Ellum to help with crowd control efforts.
In this latest shooting from the weekend, police released surveillance images of potential suspects in the death of Aareon Johnson.
