Dallas council member calls public safety meeting to address recent violence

Despite an overall decrease in violence in Dallas, recent incidents have left residents of District 4 concerned.

Dallas Councilwoman Carolyn King Arnold organized a public safety meeting at the Paul Dunbar Library in Oak Cliff in response to the uptick in crime.

“There is a right that I believe we have to be safe 365 days of the year,” Arnold emphasized.

The meeting addressed the shooting death of 30-year-old Shaketta Johnson near the Glendale Shopping Center, with Dallas Police announcing an arrest in the case.

While residents welcomed updates on the investigation, they expressed fatigue with the ongoing shootings and called for solutions targeting young people, who are often at the center of such incidents.

During the same weekend as Johnson’s murder, Dallas Police responded to a triple shooting on Easter Avenue, resulting in one fatality and injuries to two teenagers.

“We can support them. We can help them, and we can use our lived experience to help them through the trauma,” said Untruan Grant, a Dallas crime interrupter and volunteer.

Grant emphasized the importance of reaching at-risk youth before they become involved in violent crime.

“It only works if we stay consistent,” he noted. “We can’t wait until something happens and then we always want to react because something happened.”

While Dallas Police reported an overall decrease in violent crime of more than 13% in 2023 compared to the previous year, murder rates saw an increase of nearly 15%.

Deputy Chief Mark Villarreal of the Dallas Police Department reiterated Chief Garcia’s commitment to reducing violent crime, acknowledging the ongoing challenges faced by districts like Arnold’s.

Councilwoman Arnold underscored the importance of community involvement in initiatives like Dallas 365 Safe, emphasizing the need for constituents to have a seat at the table in addressing safety concerns.