Dallas police are following the crime statistics. Over the weekend officers from SWAT, Narcotics, Traffic Enforcement, and Community Policing hit the streets of South Central Dallas to both lower the law enforcement hammer, and extend a handshake, part of a new initiative by new Chief of Police Renee Hall.
"We have noticed an uptick in crime in that specific area," said Assistant Chief Gary Tittle. "We want to put a strong emphasis on violent crime and combating violent crime."
On Saturday officers spent the entire day and night in the neighborhood around Bonnie View and Ledbetter. It's the same neighborhood where a clerk was recently shot and killed at the Dollar Store.
"So this is Chief Hall's initiative," Tittle explained. "You will be seeing more of this in the future."
Police said 24 people were arrested Saturday, most on felony warrants. Officers gave more than 150 citations for traffic violations, most of those for hazardous driving. Police also seized guns and drugs; including K2, meth, cocaine, and marijuana.
In addition to crime fighting, the crime initiative was also meant to build relationships between police and community.
"Part of communication with the public and building those relationships is gaining information and intelligence from the people who experience it every day," Tittle said.
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It was the first targeted crime initiative in Dallas under Hall, but police said it will not be the last.
