Dallas

Dallas PD to Expand Use of Officer Body Cameras

Dallas violent crime crack down planned with police body camera arrests

Faced with a violent crime spike after 11 straight years of reduction, Dallas Police Chief David Brown promised on Monday a summer crack down, with new body camera video recordings.

So far in 2015, overall Dallas crime is down 1.95 percent. But violent crime is up 9.22 percent, including a 16.07 percent increase in business robbery.

“We haven’t had a significant increase in violent crime in 14 years so it’s quite a challenge for us to see this happen at this point, this late point in the year,” Brown said. “But we’re very confident that we’ll be able to reduce violent crime.”

Brown asked the Dallas City Council Public Safety Committee Monday for support, warning that he is asking officers to get more aggressive with violent criminals.

“We’ll be putting our officers more in harm’s way in addressing people who are very violent, much more than we have to this point this year. But we’re confident we have gained enough trust in the community that we can be more aggressive in attacking violent crime in the hot spots of the city,” Brown said.

The spike in violent crime includes a rash of cell phone store holdups. Surveillance video captured several of the crimes. One recording shows a robber stepping on a customer’s back to reach across the counter.

Dallas Police Association President Ron Pinkston said officers put themselves in harm’s way every day and they are prepared to get tougher as long as they receive support for doing so.

“We’ve had the support of the community here. We’ve just got to be sure we have it from City Council and police management,” Pinkston said.

Dallas City Councilman Dwaine Caraway said law-abiding citizens want less crime.

“People that commit violent crimes, they have to be dealt with and the chief is right on point in dealing with it,” Caraway said. “Now we would hope that the proper tactics are used. But, we must send a signal and will. There is zero tolerance in dealing with public safety and keeping the citizens safe.”

By June 15, Dallas police intend to add 200 shirt cameras to record what officers see. The shirt cameras are one of several measures Brown pursued in response to community concerns about deadly force.

Dallas Police began testing 50 body cameras last year and have been refining policy and procedures for an expanded program.

“We believe that showing our officers’ behavior on video and showing those persons that we are interacting with on video will lead to better outcomes,” Brown said. “False allegations against our officers are much more likely to be shown on camera and prove that the officers’ conduct was appropriate.”

Pinkston said body cameras will show the challenges officers face with some citizens.

“The cameras are going to make it more transparent. They’re going to show what the officers are doing and what the citizens are doing. And I think that’s going to be the more eye opening aspect,” Pinkston said.

The 200 devices and equipment to store and manage all the video will cost nearly $750,000 in the first year. Brown wants a total of 1,000 body cameras in a five-year purchase program, enough for every two patrol officers.

Caraway was at the scene in July 2012 when citizens came close to rioting after an officer killed a suspect in the Dixon Circle neighborhood. He said cameras will provide new evidence for both sides.

“It’s about reducing crime and keeping people safe,” he said.

But Council Member Jennifer Gates wanted to see the police policy for using the cameras, before approving the purchase.

“If you have a camera and you have any type of public interaction, you don’t get to selectively pick who you want to record. Those are things I want to know before we go ahead and make this investment,” Gates said.

Police promise to share their new body camera policy before a city council vote later this month.

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