Domestic Violence in Dallas
According to the National Domestic Violence hotline, an average of 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States. That is more than 12 million women and men over a single year.
“It took me a while to realize that what was happening to me was abuse,” said Devon, father of two. “When the violence became much worse and started being directed towards our children, I realized I had to find a way out.”
One in three Texans will experience domestic violence in their lifetimes. Armed with that knowledge, the City of Dallas proclaimed the month of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Mayor Eric Johnson and Police Chief Eddie Garcia unveiled a new strategic plan for combating domestic violence in the city on Oct.11.
Under this new plan, which will be monitored by the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, the Dallas Police Department will:
- Increase the number of domestic violence detectives.
- Reorganize the domestic violence unit to allow detectives to specialize in intimate partner violence.
- Resume home visits — a previous policing strategy that had been discontinued — to check in on victims and alleged abusers.
- Immediately pair an intimate-partner family violence detective with a homicide detective on murder cases with family violence ties.
- Work with the U.S. Attorney’s office to prosecute offenders on firearms charges, if warranted.
In 2020, felony domestic violence assaults increased by 13.6% in the city compared to 2019, which also saw an increase versus 2018. So far this year, those assaults have increased by less than 1% over 2020’s pace. This is why Mayor Johnson has made combating domestic violence a priority in Dallas. In the first 90 days of the new crime reduction plan’s implementation, Dallas recorded a 37% decrease in family violent aggravated assaults in the geographic areas that the police department has targeted.
“The men and women of the Dallas Police Department do not tolerate any violence in our city, and we will strive to do all that we can to help the victims of these pernicious crimes. I am proud to take these major strategic steps toward creating a safer city, and I am grateful to Mayor Johnson and the City Council for their support in this effort,” said Police Chief Garcia.
If you or anyone you know is a victim of domestic violence, Dallas is here for you. There are resources for counseling, housing, and ultimate protection. Remember, it is never your fault when a person resorts to violence.
When you are able, reach out to the Dallas Domestic Violence Task Force services by calling 214-670-3816.
