The Dallas Police Department works with community leaders to help rehabilitate repeat violent offenders and improve public safety in high-crime areas.
Last year, DPD began working with the South Dallas Employment Project (SDEP) to persuade repeat offenders to leave a life of crime. This focused deterrence initiative, launched under the Dallas Violent Crime Reduction Plan, aims to raise awareness of the risks of their lifestyles while providing opportunities to achieve stable economic outcomes through legal means. Includes police assistance against gang members and violent criminals.
Wes Jury, managing partner of SDEP, which operates as a not-for-profit organization, said the project aims to connect criminals with jobs, training, education, housing, transportation, digital devices, financial advice and more. He said he will assist criminals by connecting them with partners who can provide resources. changing their lifestyle. This includes a network of 187 partners in the city and Dallas County, ranging from nonprofits to businesses to government agencies.
“We have two options: If someone has taken the time to atone, we can help them become a productive, tax-paying citizen, or if they reoffend, we can help them become productive, tax-paying citizens. We can help them get back to the prisons where taxpayers support them,” said Julie, former president of the Texas Workforce Investment Council. dallas express.
SDEP is expected to release a report this month showing positive initial results. Julie said the program has served about 60 offenders so far, but not one has committed a crime since joining the program. He said crime-plagued low-income areas targeted by programs in collaboration with DPD have seen growth in several areas, including lower incarceration rates and increased employment and wages.
DPD identifies habitual violent offenders and requires them to attend quarterly meetings through probation or parole agreements with community leaders led by SDEP. Julie said about 20 to 30 offenders had attended the three meetings over the past year, with an early participation rate of about 60%.
Lt. Matthew Earley of DPD's Violent Crime Reduction Planning Unit said the meeting will include testimony from community members, including businessmen, former gang members and victims of violent crimes.
“We are models, but do we have a voice of pain?” Yes. She has people who have been victims of violent crimes and are willing to share their stories,” Allie said. dallas express. “We change their lives by being the person they want to be, a positive voice they can relate to who has been in their shoes, been there, done it and changed their lives. Do you have a voice of admiration for that person? That’s very influential.”
Julie said employment is the number one priority for offenders who want to rehabilitate and reintegrate into society as a positive force, but there are still policy barriers to obtaining certain occupational permits. Stated.
“I understand that if you attend a daycare center and you are convicted of sexual abuse, your license should not be returned to you to operate a daycare center,” he said. dallas express. “But if a barber has a minor conviction that has nothing to do with his profession or service, why would we make it difficult for him to return to the profession and earn a livable wage?” Is that so?”
SDEP's mission goes beyond simply creating more jobs. Julie said communities need better financial literacy to create lasting change.
“Our real goal is to move this region from generational poverty to generational wealth,” he said. dallas express. “We're going to need partnerships like this. When you think about the challenges in South Dallas, there's no one organization big enough to do it all. It has to be a collaboration, or it will never change. there is no.”
DPD's violent crime reduction plan has reduced some categories of violent crime over the past few years, but as previously reported, property and property Crime is steadily increasing. dallas express. DPD only has about 3,000 officers, while a city report calls for about 4,000 officers.
What's more, city officials have budgeted the department just $654 million this fiscal year, far below spending levels seen by police departments in other high-crime areas such as New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago.
