Dallas saw a significant drop in violent crime last year, part of a larger downward trend, according to Dallas Police Department statistics.
Overall violent crime in 2023 decreased by 13.79% compared to 2022, including decreases in robbery and aggravated assault.
- Aggravated assault decreased by 17.3% from 2022.
- The number of robberies decreased by 7.7% from 2022.
The only increase was in the homicide rate, which increased by 14.95 percent. The department determined that nearly two-thirds of these murders occurred inside homes or apartment complexes. More than 70% of the victims were involved in criminal or dangerous activities, and in the majority of cases the suspects and victims knew each other.
Violent Crime Reduction Strategic Plan
This decrease is the result of the Dallas Police Department's 2021 Violent Crime Reduction Strategic Plan, which employs short-, medium-, and long-term strategies to combat violent crime and associated crime-related conditions.
The crime reduction plan was developed by Dallas Police Department, University of Texas at San Antonio criminology and criminal justice professor Dr. Michael Smith, Rob Tillyer, and the city of Dallas. We employ evidence-based strategies including hotspot monitoring, deployed network investigations, and focused deterrence.
In hotspot policing, DPD increased police visibility in the micro-locations where data shows the city's most violent crime concentrations.
The police focus on eliminating criminal elements such as gangs and drug activities within the grid through network investigations set up.
Intensive deterrence is a long-term strategy to change culture and violent criminal behavior, provide jobs, education, and support social issues.
According to the release, the Crime Plan will continue to crack down on hotspots and implement further deployed network investigations and intensive deterrence efforts.
“We must continue to do our best to remove criminals from our streets, but we must also invest more in people and places and work with communities to create more positive pathways for individuals who may be at risk of crime.” “You must also be aware that you must provide the information for those “involved in a crime,'' the release states.
Other crimes trending down include shootings (murder, aggravated assault, robbery, and discharge of a firearm), which decreased by 20.99 percent from 2022. The number of victims of violent crime also decreased by 1,548 from 2022.
Compared to 2020, before the Crime Plan was launched, violent crime is down 23.78 percent.
“While there are still challenges ahead and more work to be done, the reduction in overall violent crime is a positive step toward a safer Dallas,” Police Chief Eddie Garcia said in a statement. “This reduction is the result of the hard work of the men and women of the Dallas Police Department, our great partnership with criminologists, and the support of city leaders, communities, and businesses.”
