DALLAS — The Dallas Police Department is getting ready to report its final summer violent crime numbers Monday to the Public Safety Committee.
According to the report, violent crime has dropped almost 6% compared to the same time last year.
WFAA went along with the Dallas SWAT team to get an idea of what their role is in fighting violent crime. They take down some of the most violent criminals in Dallas.
SWAT executes about five high-risk warrants every week.
”We have to keep our eye on the ball. Our gangs, narcotics sales, drug houses where the criminal elements meet to establish those crimes,” said Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia.
WFAA road alongside the SWAT team, as they raided an apartment complex where they suspected drugs were being sold.
This is what Dallas PD has been doing all summer long to help bring down the violent crime rate.
”It’s a small percentage of the city that causes a large part of the crime and that’s a city-wide issue,” said Chief Garcia.
The department targeted 47 grids.
”We based our grid selection on aggravated assaults, robbery and murde, and only 11 out of the 47 remain that we are going to be working on,” said Garcia.
And in the past three months Chief Garcia said the violent crime numbers are dropping.
”We had countless robberies this year than we did last year. We have less aggravated assault victims. We had approximately 135 less ag assault victims in this three-month period from last year, and 13 less murders in June, July, and August,” said Garcia.
Henry Martinez is the president of the Ledbetter Neighborhood Association. He said he is encouraged by what he sees.
“I love it. I love it. It’s encouraging to me and the community. They can breathe and exhale, and once we get rid of them, and it eliminates crime,” said Martinez.
But he said while violent crime is down, he believes there is still too many property crimes and feels the department needs more cops.
”There is a need and not just our community but around Dallas. We need more DPD. It’s overwhelming,” said Martinez.
Garcia doesn’t disagree.
Every week he and his commanders meet to go over the crime stats and strategize on where to move resources.
For example, when the department realized they were having a rash of road rage incidents in the North Central Patrol Division, they diverted resources to the highways.
They also moved more officers to target illegal gambling after they had a stabbing at a gambling house.
WFAA was allowed to sit in on some of those meetings, as they methodically went over almost every major crime that happened that week and they focused on those areas.
Garcia said this is just part of the plan working with the community is the other huge piece and he believes the numbers will continue to drop if everyone works together.