Just a day after a Dallas police substation was targeted by gunfire, a Dallas city councilman is calling out his fellow council members.
Multiple bullets hit the South Central Substation Sunday morning, and one narrowly missed an officer's head.
Councilman Philip Kingston says ballistic glass, fencing and more security is imperative for Dallas police officers' safety, but he says it appears he's one of few at City Hall who's expressing concern about it.
"When the police say to us, 'We don't feel supported,' I don't have a way to say you're wrong," Kingston said.
He added it's an unfortunate reality for the very men and women he represents on City Council. He says a plan to protect those in blue has fallen short.
"This City Council refuses to give voters the opportunity to decide whether to fix the infrastructure," said Kingston. "So the police are suffering from the same thing we all are on the streets, except for them it endangers their lives."
Kingston is talking about a $19 million upgrade that was proposed more than a year ago to help protect law enforcement officers. The money would be used to implement more security measures at all patrol divisions, including fencing and ballistic glass.
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Dallas Police Association president Michael Mata says a security upgrade is crucial.
"How many officers have to die, how many pounds of flesh do they need to take before they take crime in this city seriously?" he said.
In a statement released Monday evening, Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax said:
"Our police officers put their lives on the line every day and in response to that need, we have been working on security enhancements to patrol stations and Jack Evans Police Headquarters. The City of Dallas has completed a full assessment to see where police stations are vulnerable and an architecture firm has provided recommendations for security enhancements. In addition to 2006 bond funds and federal grants, we intend to designate millions more in the 2017 bond package. These enhancements include upgrading to ballistic glass. We are currently completing testing for equipment that will be installed by September 2017 at patrol stations and March 2018 at Jack Evans Police Headquarters."
