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With activity in Dallas’ central business district picking up as the pandemic eases, Downtown Dallas Inc. is launching an operation this summer to improve public safety.
The economic development group is planning to partner with law enforcement to add security and expand homelessness-outreach efforts. The operation also will support cleanup and code-enforcement efforts to help improve the overall quality of life downtown.
Kourtny Garrett, Downtown Dallas Inc.’s president and CEO, said the group’s financial commitment to adding personnel comes in anticipation of more people returning to work, as well as more coming to the heart of the city for dining, entertainment and shopping.
“‘Safe and clean,’ as we call it in our industry, is our first priority,” she said. “It’s fundamental to downtown.”
Downtown Dallas Inc. is funded through voluntary membership dues as well as revenue collected from property owners in the downtown improvement district. The organization also contracts with the city for certain projects and programs. Among its membership are companies in the hotel and hospitality industries, real estate developers and media.parent company, is a member.)
Garrett said the organization did not require any extra funding for its summer public safety plan.
As part of the plan, the organization will pay off-duty Dallas police to increase patrols downtown during busy hours. Additionally, the group said it will dedicate more staff to reporting code violations to authorities and city officials.
During the summer operation, the organization said Dallas police will increase park checks and enforcement of park rules. Downtown Dallas Inc. also will share information with authorities about “hot spots” based on patrols and complaints.
Although addressing homelessness is a focal point of the operation, Garrett stressed that the aim is not to criminalize homelessness or to displace people from downtown.
“Too often, homelessness is criminalized,” she said. “So there has to be a true understanding of whether an individual is truly committing a crime, or if this is an individual who has some kind of instance in their life that could be made better with some help through one of our service partners.”
Garrett said the organization has been fostering relationships with people in need through its Homeless Outreach Team, an initiative created in 2018. The team — identifiable by their purple polo shirts and vehicles — works to find long-term solutions for people who are without shelter, she said.
So far this year, the outreach team has engaged more than 2,000 times with people who are experiencing some level of homelessness, according to Downtown Dallas Inc. Of the people the team has engaged with, 157 have been reconnected with long-term support networks and 118 have gotten help finding shelter.
Downtown Dallas Inc. said it has plans to expand its field operation teams — which work in homeless outreach, cleanliness and security — from about 55 people to more than 80. Starting July 12, the organization also plans to add a director to oversee the homeless outreach program.
Peter Brodsky, the board chairman of the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, said the economic development group is a valuable partner in addressing homelessness in the downtown area.
“They’ve kind of thrown themselves into an area that frankly shouldn’t be one of their core competencies,” he said.
Brodsky said the additional staffing for the economic development group’s Homeless Outreach Team will work well in tandem with the newly announced rapid rehousing initiative, a multimillion-dollar effort to find shelter for more than half of Dallas’ homeless population by 2023.
“It’s a great thing for them to be able to refer someone into that program and hopefully have a much higher chance of getting them into housing immediately,” he said. “So to me, it’s all very symbiotic.”
When asked about how any increased police presence might affect people experiencing homelessness who are not comfortable with law enforcement, Brodsky said he thinks Downtown Dallas Inc. will handle interactions sensibly.
“Their approach is very much not a punitive enforcement approach,” he said. “So I don’t think that the additional police officers really are intended to be addressing any homelessness issues.”
Scott Goldstein, a spokesman for Downtown Dallas Inc., said the portion of the plan that seeks to increase police visibility downtown will not lead to a dramatic change in the number of officers in the area.
“Generally it’s going to be the peak commute times, late nights, early mornings,” he said.
Dallas police Deputy Chief Israel Herrera said the summer public safety efforts will help discourage aggressive driving and speeding, as well as property crimes and suspicious activity downtown.
Herrera said the Downtown Dallas Inc. partnership offers a chance to share information and cooperate on solutions.
“We’re just trying to make sure that we’re not giving a one-size-fits-all approach to every problem,” he said. “When they get better, they make us better and that’s what it’s all about is working with one another, networking with information and intelligence.”
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said in a written statement that collaboration among law enforcement, institutions and communities is needed to prioritize public safety in the city.
“I am encouraged by the evidence-based action plan that Downtown Dallas Inc. is implementing in partnership with other agencies to ensure the continued success of our vibrant city center,” Johnson said. “This is the kind of collaboration we need to build a safer Dallas.”
People who work in the bar and restaurant industries downtown said they supported efforts to increase public safety.
Zach Tougas, a bartender at the Green Door Public House, said he welcomes outreach efforts to increase public safety, but has not seen a noticeable increase in problems between patrons of the bar and the homeless population in the area.
“We haven’t noticed anything that is too crazy,” he said. “Nothing outside of regular downtown life. You expect to see it.”
Chris O’Neal, general manager of the Press Box Grill sports bar and restaurant, said he regularly interacts with people who are experiencing homelessness in the area, and, like Tougas, he said he appreciates support from local organizations.
“If there is someone that is open to help, I welcome the help. It doesn’t matter if it was pre-pandemic or now,” O’Neal said.
Jesuorobo Enobakhare Jr., chairman of the city’s community police oversight board, said the city-appointed board was not contacted by Downtown Dallas Inc. about the summer safety plan.
The board works with Dallas police to recommend reforms but is also a channel of communication between the community and law enforcement to highlight concerns related to policing, Enobakhare said.
Although he hopes for the best for the initiative, Enobakhare said he also hopes groups such as Downtown Dallas Inc. can work with the oversight board moving forward.
“It would be great if groups like this did reach out to the office of police oversight and say, ‘How can we partner together to make sure we are able to prevent crimes and protect businesses without infringing upon the rights of civilians?’” Enobakhare said.