Despite overall violence trending downward in Dallas, a rash of recent crimes has some people on edge in District 4.
Dallas Councilwoman Carolyn King Arnold said it’s what prompted her to call a public safety meeting Thursday night at the Paul Dunbar Library in Oak Cliff.
“There is a right that I believe we have to be safe 365 days of the year,” said Arnold.
Over the weekend, 30-year-old Shaketta Johnson died after being shot several times off Marsalis Avenue near the Glendale Shopping Center. Dallas Police announced in the meeting that there had been an arrest in the case.
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Residents welcomed the update on the case but said they’re tired of the shootings and want solutions aimed largely at young people.
On the same weekend of Johnson's murder, Dallas Police responded to a triple shooting on Easter Avenue that left one man dead and two teenagers injured.
“We can support them. We can help them, and we can use our lived experience to help them through the trauma,” said Untruan Grant, a Dallas crime interrupter and volunteer.
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Grant said his goal is to reach young people more at risk for violent crime before they become victims or offenders.
“It only works if we stay consistent,” he said. “We can’t wait until something happens and then we always want to react because something happened.”
Dallas Police reported an overall decrease in violent crime of more than 13% in 2023 compared to the previous year. However, when broken down into categories, murder was up by nearly 15% percent.
“It’s sad to see the amount of violence that we see on a daily basis and we’re working to address that. The number one goal of Chief Garcia is the reduction of violent crime,” said Deputy Chief Mark Villarreal of the Dallas Police Department.
Councilwoman Arnold said her district is among those hit hardest. It’s why she said the Dallas 365 Safe initiative – a community policing program that started during the pandemic – must continue with constituents at the table.
