Dallas police introduces innovative crime fighting tactics

Dallas, Texas - In a move inspired by the crime control approaches of Boston from previous decades, the Dallas Police Department has introduced a new tactic termed "focused deterrence" into their crime control methods.

The approach, which incorporates personalized intervention, predominantly zeroes in on those individuals who are highly prone to violent behavior. The concept is straightforward yet significant: encouraging potential offenders towards constructive, positive activity and away from crime or face the inevitable consequences via the federal justice system.

Eddie Garcia, the Dallas Police Chief, characterizes this alternative as an "olive branch", signifying the choice between rectification and penalty—a decision that has the potential to alter the course of an individual's life significantly.

Chief Garcia confidently expresses the concept underpinning focused deterrence.

"Focused deterrence really is getting a group of individuals that would otherwise be susceptible to violent crime at risk individuals and giving them two messages: first message is we're not going to tolerate violence in our city," Chief Garcia told FOX 4. "If they need other things to get started we want to help them get in the right direction for them and their families."

Two weeks ago, Chief Garcia, accompanied by a delegation of community associates, conducted a direct intervention session that involved more than two dozen individuals with a history of legal infringements.

These selected participants, labeled as 'chronic offenders', have various criminal backgrounds, including recent involvement in violent crimes, probation, parole, gang associations, and a history of perpetrating numerous violent offenses within the city.

Chief Garcia pointed out the significance of a data-driven approach in identifying these particular individuals, demonstrating the synergy between modern technology and conventional law enforcement methods.

Partnering in this initiative are Metrocare, a regional mental health service, and the South Dallas Employment Project, a significant collaboration involving over 100 organizations. This collective seeks to provide job opportunities and crucial life skills, reinforcing the goal of focused deterrence with practical resources and support, encouraging true community integration and upliftment.

"They took part in a lot of the resources, so it was a great meeting. We'll do them quarterly, and what we're going to start to do is not only individuals who are out of custody, but we're going to start to take the show into custodial facilities as well to get that message out before individuals get released back into our city," said Garcia.

Although Dallas has recorded a general decrease in violent incidents this year, the city has seen an increase in its homicide rate compared to last year, according to Dallas Metro News. However, recent trends hint at a hopeful shift, as Police Chief Eddie Garcia asserts.

"When you look at the homicide rate we've done some remarkable work in the last month and a half," said Garcia. "I think we were 22 or 23 murders over where we were last year and as of this morning I think we're nine over. So we've reduced homicides in the most critical months, which is important, but what we've continued to reduce has been violent incidents."

When reevaluating the city's crime statistics, Garcia emphasizes that the murder rate does not solely define the city's safety. The incidence of other violent crimes, like aggravated assaults, is significant in their crime control benchmark. This specific component of their strategy seeks to further curtail these numbers.

"A hundred robberies, a hundred aggravated assaults are not committed by a hundred different people. So, if we're able to concentrate on chronic offenders we'll be able to reduce violent crime even further in the City of Dallas," said Chief Garcia.

The effectiveness of the 'focused deterrence' strategy will be judged not only by the quantity of individuals who initially accept the support offered but by how many persistently engage with the program, showing a real intent to alter their life direction. The ongoing participation of these individuals is a vital measure of the long-term success and effectiveness of this strategy.