Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall clarified comments made during a press conference Monday about the spike in violent crime in the city.
Last month there were more than 40 murders in Dallas, which is the most since the '90s.
On Twitter Monday night, she clarified her point saying there is no excuse for crime.
"Today my point was simple - there is no excuse for crime. Crime in general, however, is on the rise in Dallas for many reasons. One of them being the lack of opportunity," she said. "In no way, am I using that as an excuse to commit a crime. However, we have to work together as a community to remain vigilant and proactive. I've asked our pastoral community, as a beginning, to develop ways to teach people how to resolve disputes without violence and find opportunities without resorting to crime."
She says she has asked the pastoral community to develop ways to teach people how to resolve disputes without violence.
Currently, the city has 700 fewer officers than in 2011.
