Dozens of Dallas police officers who patrol downtown as part of a new crime-fighting initiative mingled with residents for lunch Wednesday at the Purple Onion diner.
Officers from the mounted patrol, K-9, bicycle and traffic units chowed down on pizza and chatted with residents and downtown employees.
It’s the second meet-and-greet with downtown residents in as many days -- police had a smaller gathering at the Woolworth on Tuesday.
This new push to engage with the public comes a few weeks after more than 300 people packed a crime meeting, concerned over aggressive panhandling and a growing number of assaults.
Since then business owners said they’ve noticed a more visible presence by the Dallas Police Department.
"Definitely, I do feel much better. I see them more often around and making the neighborhood safer," said Medhi Pezeshki, owner of the Purple Onion. "And I serve so many people here for lunch and I listen to their concerns, and they're noticing too that it's much safer to walk these streets."
"I think it certainly demonstrates the receptiveness from the businesses downtown and how well-received the officers down here are," said Assistant Chief Gary Tittle, who oversees the new downtown "Quality of Life" anti-panhandling campaign.
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Over the last few weeks police in downtown have made six felony arrests for K-2 synthetic marijuana sales and more than 100 arrests for confrontational panhandling.
