DALLAS — Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia released new numbers Tuesday that show violent crime in the city is down for the second consecutive year.
Despite being short-staffed, Garcia said he's proud of the officers who have been working around the clock to make sure Dallas stays one of the safest cities.
"We don’t do touchdown dances, there is no celebration," said Garcia.
Garcia sat down with WFAA one on one to discuss the lower violent crime numbers.
He said there is still a lot of work to be done.
"There is no light at the end of the tunnel, just another tunnel," said Garcia.
The chief said, according to the data, violent crime in 2022 is down close to 5.5%.
In 2021, there were 11,699 victims of aggravated assaults, murder and manslaughter. But in 2022, there were 11,061 victims.
In gun crimes, in 2021, there were 9,881 victims. In 2022, there were 9,348 victims.
In all, the chief said, "over the last two years, we have 1,700 less victims of violent crime."
But the number of robberies in businesses and victims is up close to 4%.
Garcia said there are certain areas that need revitalization.
In 2023, Garcia said his department plans on sitting down with a consultant to come up with a plan where some officers recruit and redistrict other officers.
"We need to look at population, population growth, population growth throughout the city and certain areas, call volume,’’ said Garcia.
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said public safety has been a number one priority. Johnson sent the following statement to WFAA:
“Since I took office amid a significant spike in violent crime, public safety has been our top priority. Now, thanks to our commitment to both data-driven policing strategies and community-based solutions, Dallas has recorded two consecutive years of year-over-year violent crime decreases — an extraordinary achievement in the face of rising crime in cities across the nation."
“We still have significant work ahead of us, and we must continue to increase hiring and retention, which can help us further reduce crime and provide quicker responses. But behind the people of Dallas, a resolute City Council, and the tireless work of the men and women of the Dallas Police Department, I know we can continue to make strides toward our goal of making Dallas the safest major city in the United States."
Bottom line, Garcia said, they can’t fight crime alone and will need businesses and the community to step in and help.
"One life is too many, and we will continue to work hard," said Garcia.