Dallas is on the brink of a milestone no one wants: 200 murders in a year.
Despite demands for Chief Renee Hall to develop a plan of action, some are coming to her defense.
At a press conference Friday, members of the Black Police Association of Greater Dallas said Chief Hall is being treated unfairly.
“The issues in Dallas are not just a chief problem alone,” said BPA President Terrance Hopkins.
The press conference, Hopkins said, was called at the request of community members who live in the area seeing a spike in crime.
It also comes a week after Mayor Eric Johnson demanded a plan of action from Chief Hall on how she plans to curb violent crime.
Mayor Johnson told City Manager T.C. Broadnax he wants the public safety committee briefed on the plan at its next meeting in January.
“It's important for us to stand with this woman who's doing a phenomenal job with the resources that she has,” said activist Thomas Muhammad.
Friday, the National Latino Law Enforcement Officers Association reiterated statements it made months ago that Chief Hall’s should be removed from her position.
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Mike Mata with the Dallas Police Association hasn’t gone that far. But, he says it’s time for Chief Hall to deliver on why she was brought to Dallas: Cut crime, keep officers and build morale.
“So when you say you can do these things and you were brought here to do exactly that, ‘I did it in Detroit, I can do it in Dallas’. It’s time to do it in Dallas,” Mata emphasized.
Last month, Chief Hall presented a "cease fire" program to get tough on violent criminals, along with a five-year plan for the DPD.
While plans and proposals may help, supporters say stopping a spike in violent crime will take much more than that.
“You've got to deal with the root cause if you're going to bear fruit,” said Friendship-West Baptist Church Pastor Freddy Haynes. The root cause, he said in part, is the need for more jobs, educational and entertainment opportunities.
NBC 5's Meredith Yeomans contributed to this report.
