Residents of Deep Ellum will see uniformed police officers walking the streets this weekend.
To combat an increase in crime, Deep Ellum Foundation has pooled more than $300,000. The foundation, which is made up of property and business owners, has tripled its budget for public safety.
Security officers from a private company will patrol the area during the day, and Dallas police officers will patrol the community at night, Friday and Saturday until 3 a.m.
Two patrol cars, with two officers each, will drive through the neighborhood Friday and Saturday night. A total of six officers in uniform will walk the streets.
“The security team during the daytime shifts will mainly deal with panhandling and homelessness in the area,” said Jessica Burnham, who is the executive director of the Deep Ellum Foundation. “The officers that work at night will of course be there if help is needed, but mainly they will monitor the area and help with traffic,” she said.
The initiative is in its second week. According to the community crime map, which is on the Dallas Police Department’s website, the increased police presence there has responded to a total of four incidents: two car break-ins, one robbery, and one violent assault.
The number of crimes reported has gone down when compared to this time last month. In April, during the same two week span of time, 13 police reports were filed: six car break-ins, two aggravated assaults, three home break-ins, and two robberies.
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Other security measures may include additional street lights and surveillance cameras for the many businesses that line the streets of Deep Ellum.
