Below are the topics of discussion for the Public Safety Committee meeting for Tuesday, December 8, 2015. 

Index Crime Report

The following crime statistics represent data from January 1 to December 3, 2015:

FBI’s Uniform Crime Report for 2014

The Dallas Police Department ranks fifth among major cities according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report for 2014. In 2013, Dallas ranked sixth for safest city. The city’s rank has continued to drop in this last decade. However, Dallas has the most significant decline in crime among major Texas cities and cities across the nation. This is a reflection of the involvement of our citizens and the hard work of our officers.

Call Types and Priorities

Emergency calls are dispatched on a priority system. The following chart provides a better understanding of the types of calls, their priority in the system, and the department’s goal for response time. 

Cite & Release Pilot

The Dallas Police Department is proposing a Cite & Release pilot program.  Cite & Release is a new law that authorizes officers to issue a citation requiring the person to appear before a magistrate at a later date in lieu of an immediate appearance. The law applies only to certain Class A or Class B misdemeanors and the person must reside in the county where the offense occurred. Some of the offenses included in Cite and Release are: 

Possession of Marijuana (Class A and B), Criminal Mischief (Class B), Theft (Class B)

Criminal Nuisance Abatement Process (S.A.F.E.)

The Nuisance Abatement Unit is comprised of Dallas Police officers who work in partnership with Dallas Fire-Rescue, Code Compliance, and the City Attorney’s Office. The purpose of the unit is to combat the use of property as a base for criminal operations. The Nuisance Abatement Team will seek property owner compliance, however, non-compliance can result in civil penalties and other legal action.