On Thursday, April 28, 2016, the Dallas Police Department hosted the Safer Dallas Steering Committee Meeting at the Jack Evans Headquarters. The meeting was opened by Safer Dallas President, Gary Griffith, who was followed by Nancy Wilson of White Rock Partnership and Officer Bervin Smith of the Northeast Patrol Division. They spoke about the partnership between Safer Dallas Better Dallas and the Northeast Patrol Division and their Community Engagement Initiative. This initiative encourages communities to have a supportive role in public safety and quality of life issues.

Dallas District Attorney Susan Hawk spoke about the different initiatives that the District Attorney’s office has implemented to ensure the safety of the citizens in the City of Dallas. One of the programs highlighted was the Community Response Team. This team is composed of three prosecutors who focus on the repeat offenders who are the biggest threat to the community.

Safer Dallas Executive Board Members also announced their campaign to help purchase Standard 40mm Single Launcher guns for the Dallas Police Department. These guns use less than lethal ammunition and would be a great addition to the Department.  They can be used from a longer distance than a Taser, giving the officers an opportunity to control a situation without being in extreme close proximity to the suspect.

Also, a check was presented to Chief David O. Brown by John Forest, Chairman of the Dallas Rotary Club, for the launch of the 2^nd Annual “Let’s Talk” Youth Engagement Program. Chief Brown thanked the Dallas Rotary Club and everyone who supports the Dallas Police Department. He asked for citizens to join him in thanking the officers for all their hard work and dedication to the City of Dallas.

At the end of the meeting, the late Jack Hammack, one of the founders of Safer Dallas Better Dallas, was honored. His son, Al Hammack, took the stage and offered kinds words regarding his father and Charles Terrell, co-founder of Safer Dallas Better Dallas. He commented on how his dad would often ask people if they ever wonder if they have made a difference in the world. He then went on to say that Dallas Police officers do not need to wonder if they have made a difference because they make a difference every day.

The mission of Safer Dallas Better Dallas is to protect residents from becoming victims of crime and to engage them in a partnership with the Dallas Police Department, to support the efforts of Dallas police officers, and to make Dallas America’s safest big city.