Texas DPS Still Working On Plan to Send Troopers to Help Patrol Dallas Streets

The Texas Department of Public Safety is inching closer to following through on Gov. Greg Abbott's offer to send state troopers and other resources into Dallas to help stop violent crime.

"This is a complex problem that will require a significant amount of planning before a final plan of action is determined," said DPS Press Secretary Tom Vinger on Friday afternoon, noting that the plan is still in a preliminary stage.

"I wanted to do this on a volunteer basis, on an assisted basis," Abbott said this week. "I wanted to make sure that we were not stepping into the turf of the Dallas Police Department, that we were very respectful of their jurisdiction."

Dallas County deputies could participate in the effort, too according to Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, the county’s top homeland security official.

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“I’m in communication with our city partners and if they have a resource request, we’ll look at that, but we’re all committed to working together,” Jenkins said.

Tarleton State University Criminology expert G.M. Cox is a former police chief in four Texas cities.

“The more eyes and ears and officers we can get out there, the safer it is for everybody,” Cox said.

In his 35 years of Texas law enforcement experience, Cox said he has never heard of a situation quite like this were State Troopers are being offered for an urban crime fighting situation, but he believes it could be successful.

“If you go into rural Texas you’ll see Troopers coming in and out of cities, assisting law enforcement. What makes it a little rare is the Governor stepped out there, but that may just be we have a different Governor. I think it’s great,” Cox said.

For their own safety, Cox said outside officers need to know their new area, so for instance, they can accurately describe a location to call for back up.

“It’s just a different set of police officers to come and assist with a local issue,” Cox said.

Abbott did not provide specifics on how many troopers could be temporarily assigned to help patrol Dallas streets or where they'd be coming from within the state. He noted that cooperation is essential and a public safety plan is being worked out.

One reason why the Dallas police chief and mayor agree that Abbott's offer to send in troopers to patrol is a good idea is that it could free up scores of Dallas police officers to track down repeat violent and dangerous domestic-abusers with outstanding warrants.

With more than 300 aggravated assault/family violence incidents this year, domestic violence crime is up 50 percent compared to this time last year.

It's an issue that the city's new 170-officer strong Violent Crime Task Force is having trouble fixing, because it's a crime that happens behind closed doors.

Domestic violence experts note that abusers often leave home after a 911 call is placed so they won't be questioned or arrested when police arrive. A warrant is created, but police don't often have resources— or permission — to return to a home and do a door-knock.

The leader of the Genesis Women's Shelter says the statistics don't necessarily mean violent crime against women is up, but perhaps that more women are empowered to reach out to police.

"Maybe more people are reporting, more people are realizing that the city of Dallas will see this is a crime," said shelter CEO Jan Langbein.

Langbein is meeting with Dallas Police Chief David Brown Monday morning, as part of the Crime Against Women Conference in downtown Dallas.

This week Brown announced his intention to move 96 officers into specialized Domestic Violence Warrant Teams, who are empowered to do high-risk door-knocks and track down violent offenders.

That's why Langbein thinks it's a good idea to partner with DPS to bring in extra resources.

"I mean, why not? Extra hands is going to translate into extra help for victims of domestic violence," she said.

Langbein brushed aside concerns that bringing in troopers could send a signal that Dallas crime is out of control.

"It's not a bad sign to me, it's a partnership that is really positive and can ultimately help protect women," she said.

The "extra DPS resources" that will be temporarily moved to Dallas could include technology, troopers, and DPS helicopters.

Members of the police department's Violent Crime Task Force say they're happy to have more law enforcement resources, but don't want the public to get the impression that local sworn officers can't get a handle on violent crime.

"Honestly I think my guys out here are making a pretty big impact already," said Dallas Police Sgt. Paolo Sparacino, who commands six task force officers.

"If the state wants to help out, we'll take all the help we can get. But I think DPD and the guys that we have out here are making a dent in the numbers over the last few weeks," he said.

The Violent Crime Task Force spent weeks in targeted North Dallas neighborhoods that are known to be high-drug trafficking areas, with high gang activity and violent crime rates. This week the officers are moving south and east into new communities.

It's likely that state troopers, when they come, will focus on traffic violations on Dallas streets and help with overall visibility in high-crime corridors. This would free up more officers to track down domestic violence-abusers with outstanding warrants.

"Domestic violence is a crime that happens behind closed doors. It is a crime that will re-occur again and again," Langbein said.

The Genesis Women's Shelter in Dallas provides emergency shelters, legal resources, counseling and other resources for abused women.

They run a 24-hour hotline that can be reached at 214-946-HELP (4357). For more information, visit http://www.genesisshelter.org/.

NBC 5's Ken Kalthoff contributed to this report.