Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall held her first community listening session of 2020 in northwest Dallas on Tuesday, an area where property crime remains a primary concern.
“We have tailgates stolen, we have burglaries and we just want to ensure patrons that come back year after year that they will be safe,” Tamara Price, assistant general manager of the Sheraton Suites Market Center said.
Price said the crimes often come at peak times when people are in town for business.
“I feel like I was heard from the police chief,” Price said. “I think she does want to work with us.”
The listening session was designed to discuss and take questions from the public about the Dallas Police Department’s five-year strategic plan, according to one of the department’s public information officers who also told NBCDFW Hall would not be taking questions from reporters.
Last week, Hall rolled out her more than 20-page violent crime reduction plan that called for, among other things, a 5% citywide reduction in violent crime.
Hall is scheduled to brief the Dallas City Council next week on the plan and did not talk about it Tuesday.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson has already said he would like to see a more substantial drop in crime than the 5% stipulated in the plan, a sentiment echoed by District 6 City Councilman Omar Narvaez.
“I think I would agree with the mayor. I want to see an even more active number, I don’t know what that is, but 5% doesn't seem very big,” Narvaez said. “We need to see a big reduction in violent crime happening.”
Narvaez, who was at Tuesday’s listening session, praised the efforts of police and along with Chief Hall encouraged increased partnership with business owners to report and prevent crime.
So far, there have been three homicides in Dallas so far this year. In 2019, Dallas recorded 209 homicides. Updated crime reports from the Dallas Police Department can be obtained here.
For a list of other listening sessions, click here.
