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Murders are down nationwide. So why are they up in Dallas?

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Murders are down nationwide. So why are they up in Dallas?


Dallas just closed the books on the city’s bloodiest year since 2020.

According to police data, murders and non-negligent manslaughter climbed to 246 in 2023, up from 214 a year earlier and the highest since the violent death toll reached 256 in 2020.

That’s a rate of 18.86 murders per 100,000 people in Dallas last year, up from 16.41 murders per 100,000 in 2022. At least 204 of those deaths resulted from a firearm, up roughly 8.51% from 2022. And while violence is found in all parts of Dallas, a significant portion of murders were concentrated in a handful of locations in southern and northwest Dallas neighborhoods. So far, 2024 in Dallas began at roughly a murder-a-day pace.

What makes these statistics so disconcerting — including 34 homicides in March alone — is that other violent crimes, including aggravated assault, are down, evidence that an innovative violent crime plan is having some success. Yet, the increase in murders and non-negligent manslaughter runs counter to a national decline in murders last year. New York and Chicago posted double-digit percentage declines, and Detroit recorded the fewest murders since the 1960s. In nearby Fort Worth, police reported in mid-December that the city’s homicide rate had decreased by more than 20% from 2022.

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So why is Dallas an outlier, and not in a good way? That’s a trend this community needs to understand and reverse.

Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia attributes the murder count to personal arguments and senseless conflicts that involve victims who were engaged in criminal activity or high-risk behavior. And that suggests the chief’s Violent Crime Reduction Strategic Plan, introduced in May of 2021, has to evolve to address this intractable threat to public safety.

Garcia also has said he remains committed to reducing aggravated assaults, which have fallen, telling a Public Safety Committee meeting recently that “the way to reduce murder is to reduce the incidents of aggravated assault that cause murder.” However, Dallas continues to face chronic staffing shortages that limit police presence and the ability to disrupt criminal networks that contribute to violent crime.

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Comparing crime statistics can be tricky due how various jurisdictions report them. But while the Major Cities Chiefs Association reports double-digit declines in homicide across nearly 70 of America’s largest cities, Dallas isn’t one of those experiencing a decline.

Cities and the federal government generally attribute the 2023 drop in homicides and other violent crimes to expanded efforts to prevent crime, such as bipartisan gun-control legislation passed by Congress, collaborative efforts with community volunteers, police on foot or bike patrols, targeting of gun possession in high-crime areas, improved lighting and better traffic control.

Michael Smith, a criminologist at the University of Texas San Antonio who worked with Dallas police to develop a crime reduction plan, has offered several suggestions. One is greater cooperation from the criminal justice system to better assess the risk a suspect poses to determine whether a person stays in jail or gets out while awaiting trial, a change that might require help from the Texas Legislature to avoid running afoul of protections in the state constitution. This echoes Garcia’s concern that other parts of the criminal justice system haven’t done enough to keep offenders from being returned to the streets where they often reoffend.

The crime plan also should better target youth crime and firearms in order to keep dysfunctional and criminal behavior from escalating. Along those lines Garcia has urged city departments, clergy, schools, businesses, community groups and other interveners to be more active in supplementing police enforcement efforts. Garcia also wants to double down on such focused deterrence strategies to change the life paths of high-risk and at-risk offenders, including those returning from prison sentences into Dallas neighborhoods. This part of the plan involves jobs, education and assistance with social issues, all of which take time, money and focus to curb criminal culture and violent behavior.

The city also should consider ways to require multifamily property owners to do more to prevent their complexes from becoming magnets for violent crime. In speaking to the press this week, Garcia said Thursday that roughly two-thirds of murders in 2023 occurred either inside a residence or at an apartment complex, suggesting that changes might reduce homicides.

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This much is certain. More than 200 murders a year in Dallas must not become the new normal.

We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here. If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com



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Viral East Dallas coffee shop fears major sales drop amid six-week road closure

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Viral East Dallas coffee shop fears major sales drop amid six-week road closure


Construction plans disrupt business in East Dallas. Just a few days ago, the owners of Juju’s Coffee off La Vista Drive in Dallas were informed by Oncor that the street on which their shop is located will be closed.

One of the owners, Nick Rocha, said the closure will last six weeks, but if there are any delays, it could be extended until October.

The coffee shop, which opened in 2023, has recently gained a lot of popularity. One of their drinks, called the “do-si-dos,” has gone viral, and now they have lines out the door on a regular basis.

“It’s a peanut butter milk latte… We probably doubled our sales or more if I had to be honest,” said Rocha.

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Since the drink’s release in April, the flow of customers has been nonstop.

“We were like, ‘We’ll go viral and then we’ll die out.’ Then we’re like, ‘Well, when is it going to be over, because we’re just getting slammed?’ We were both doing like 60- to 70-hour weeks… And it just kept going, and it turned from like, ‘Okay, we’re scared of it,’ to, ‘Okay, we can do this,’” said Rojas.

Rojas says that just as they were adjusting to the new normal, the notice from Oncor came.

“They were just like, ‘Yeah, so we’re going to close the street, sorry.’ That was tough… because we’re in the middle of dreaming and vision casting for what’s coming and what’s next,” said Rojas.

Starting July 20, La Vista Drive will be closed, sidewalk accessibility will be difficult, and street visibility will be too. Rojas believes the impact could drop their sales by about 50%. He says they’ve had meetings with the city and Oncor, but says there’s nothing they can do, and now their only plea is to their customers.

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“Anybody that comes in and supports, it’s a genuine gratitude from us,” said Rojas.



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3 unanswered questions before training camp: Dallas Cowboys edition

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3 unanswered questions before training camp: Dallas Cowboys edition


For the Dallas Cowboys and their owner, Jerry Jones, the hope is always that the changes made will improve the product on the field. Every team heading into training camp will have questions to answer, and the Dallas Cowboys are first on our list with 3 of the biggest ones. This will be an ongoing series for the next couple of weeks until camp starts, and answers start to reveal themselves in real time.

Another season of change for the Dallas Cowboys. Will it make a difference this time around to end the drought? Jerry Jones sure hopes so. Dallas hasn’t had a title in 30 years, and Jerry Jones promised to look in the mirror and make much-needed dramatic changes. The 34-year-old Christian Parker, who has no defensive coordinator experience, must embody the change upfront. Veterans were added, and Dak Prescott is back and healthy, running a new scheme. We shall see.

I wouldn’t worry about whether CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens can coexist long-term. I’m more concerned about whether you can keep them happy with the culture and get them to commit long-term. They declined to negotiate with Pickens and instead slapped him with the franchise tag. If Dak Prescott continues to spread the ball around, he should be able to keep them happy, but it comes at a cost: winning in the playoffs or a Super Bowl title.

Tight end Jake Ferguson’s role could diminish during the upcoming season. Even after signing a four-year, $52 million extension, former undrafted free agent Brevyn Spann-Ford is a better blocker and could have a major impact on the Cowboys’ offense in 2026.

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Dallas weather: Widespread thunderstorms bring flash flood risks and brief heat relief

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Dallas weather: Widespread thunderstorms bring flash flood risks and brief heat relief


A wave of scattered thunderstorms is expected to bring heavy rain, localized flooding risks, and brief relief from the July heat to North Texas and the Texoma region starting Sunday afternoon.

Severe weather risk

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The Storm Prediction Center has placed the entire region under a low-level risk for severe weather. Forecasters warn that while widespread severe conditions are unlikely, any strong storm cells that develop could produce localized flooding, small hail, frequent lightning, and damaging wind gusts between 50 and 60 mph.

We have a lot of moisture on hand. The atmosphere is primed for highly efficient rainfall. This is where the isolated flash flood threat starts to come in. If these areas get another round of rain through the overnight hours, of course, then that threat starts to elevate.

Timeline:

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The weather system began moving through Sunday morning with an initial cluster of storms focused heavily near Sherman in Grayson County, alongside isolated pop-up showers stretching east toward Delta and Red River counties. The broader Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex remained largely dry early in the day, with temperatures hovering in the late 70s to low 80s.

However, conditions are expected to shift rapidly as daytime heating pushes temperatures into the mid-90s.

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Sunday Afternoon (3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.): Storm coverage will become more scattered and widespread across North Texas.

Sunday Evening & Overnight: Pockets of heavy, intense rainfall are projected to stall over parts of the region.

Monday Morning Commute: Lingering showers and light rain are expected to persist through sunrise, threatening to create slick roadways and slow down the Monday morning rush hour.

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Temperature Outlook and Drought Relief

Despite the storm threat, the rain will be welcomed. The rainfall is expected to help alleviate the onset of the typical mid-summer drought conditions North Texas experiences this time of year.

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The accompanying cloud cover and rain will provide a temporary break from intense summer heat. While Sunday’s forecast high of 95 degrees sits exactly at the mid-July average, temperatures will dip slightly below average to 93 degrees on Monday and Tuesday.

A gradual drying and warming trend will begin mid-week as the low-pressure system slowly slides out of the area. Rain chances drop to 30% by Tuesday and will continue to taper off through Thursday. By Friday and next weekend, the typical July weather pattern is expected to return, bringing hot and dry conditions back to the region.

7-Day Forecast

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The Source: Information in this article is from the FOX 4 weather team.

WeatherSevere WeatherDallasFort Worth



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