Dallas to combat crime surge with 'Summer of Safety' program for teens

Dallas - In an ambitious bid to promote safety and active participation of teenagers throughout the potentially challenging summer months, city officials in Dallas are enthusiastically advocating for family involvement in their groundbreaking summer scheme. This distinctive program plans to offer up to 10,000 comprehensive admission passes, providing teenagers access to a range of the city's most desirable venues.

The passes allow teens free access to popular destinations including the Dallas Zoo, Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, the African American Museum at Fair Park, and the Dallas Arboretum. Notably, the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza has joined the roster of participating museums this year. Other attractions on the list include a water park and Shakespeare Dallas.

Under the banner 'Summer of Safety,' this strategy represents Dallas' tactical response to the customary rise in crime that often accompanies the summer months. The primary objective of this program is to create a secure environment for teenagers aged 13 to 17, although concerns persist about its accessibility to those youth most susceptible to dangerous activities.

Launching on July 3, the 'Teen All Access Pass' project, a key element of this initiative, extends a warm invitation to teenagers aged 13 to 17. The program provides free entry to an array of over ten cultural and recreational locations dotted around Dallas.

Community-based recreational centers serve as the distribution points for teens to collect their passes.

“You can go to any one of our 40 recreation centers to pick up a pass as long as supplies last,” said Steven Baker, superintendent of the Dallas Parks & Recreation Department. “It’s limited to one pass per teen and if a household has multiple teens in it, each teen is eligible to get a pass.”

Now in its third year, this trailblazing scheme has already shown remarkable progress, with nearly 8,000 teens using the free passes last year, according to Baker.

Hoping for a favorable outcome, city officials are keen on seeing all 10,000 passes in use this year, reflecting their unwavering dedication to ensuring a secure and engaging summer for the city's youth.

Baker says he hopes “youth will learn something about our city and feel a little more welcome and feel part of it and just learn about what a great city and great resources we have in the city of Dallas.”

Credit: Dallas Metro News, NBC DFW, City of Dallas