The downward trend for Dallas crime continues according to new figures.
It comes on top of a 9.5 percent reduction posted in September 2009 compared with the year before.
“The focus has been greater on crime than it has ever been in the past, so I’m real proud,” said Dallas City Councilman Dwaine Caraway, Chairman of the Council Public Safety Committee.
Residential burglary, up 1.2 percent and rape up 18.1 percent are the only crimes showing an increase in the current figures.
Dallas police last week launched a campaign for sexual assault awareness and prevention.
“It’s so very important that we bring the numbers down, even greater from where they are now,” Caraway said.
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The hiring of about 700 additional Dallas Police Officers the past several years is cited as the biggest reason for the large decline.
But in this tight budget year, the city is considering a reduced police budget and a stop to police force expansion.
“We will not hire as many police officers because the past two years we’ve hired a great number and we have a lot of them still in training,” Caraway said. “But that is not to say next year we will not pick back up and hire some more.”
Caraway confirmed that the strong crime reduction numbers support that plan to ease back on police spending but insists that crime reduction can still continue.
“The focus here is on public safety, keeping citizens safe, first and foremost,” Caraway said.
Final decisions about the Dallas budget will come later this month.
