This is how a city goes downhill. And this is how a lot of American cities are going downhill.
A city of Dallas memorandum dated Jan. 1 that said in most cases police officers would not be dispatched to certain types of calls like car thefts, criminal mischief and child custody disputes, was rescinded Saturday afternoon.
It was rescinded because of heavy blowback complete with a warning from Governor Abbott. This is still Texas after all. But it comes after Dallas County DA John Creuzot promised not to prosecute criminals who were stealing “necessary” items.
Like Gascon in San Francisco, Creuzot wanted to stop prosecuting thefts under $750.
Mike Mata from the Dallas Police Association says functionally legalizing some thefts could have collateral consequences, like making store owners feel they need to stop people from stealing themselves if they don’t think that the crimes will be prosecuted.
“Either that shop owner is going to have to take matters in his own hands, or he’s going to have to let $600 worth of merchandise walk out of his store,” Mata said. “And so that might force him to get engaged into an altercation that he shouldn’t.”
Sheldon Smith, a Dallas Police Department sergeant and president of the National Black Police Association Dallas chapter, says he suspects thefts may have contributed to Walmart planning to close a southern Dallas location, and thefts could increase in mom-and-pop stores if people don’t expect to be prosecuted.
“And so the little store owner, he has no chance of staying in business. And why would they? And who’s hurt in the end? The community’s hurt,” Smith said.
Crime has skyrocketed in Dallas and Creuzot, who, like other pro-crime DAs, was backed by George Soros is at the heart of the problem.
Figures through December 13 show violent crime up about 2%, led by a 30% increase in aggravated assault that is not family violence and a 21% increase in murder….
Discussing the crime problem Monday, Dallas City council Members quizzed District Attorney John Creuzot over the large number of arrested people who quickly get out of jail.
Police records show all of the people arrested in several warrant round ups the past few months have already been released from jail.
“When one of our key violent crime strategies is that we’re arresting individuals and we say, ‘Hey come in for a couple days and then you’re back out,’ there’s a break down in that system,” City Councilman Adam McGough said.
District Attorney Creuzot said efforts to create better facilities at the Dallas County Jail for communication about release proceedings have failed but that a threat level assessment is made on people being evaluated for release.
As a former Judge himself, who made many decisions about setting offenders free, Creuzot said it is a very difficult choice.
“I can tell you there’ is no magic formula that’s going to ensure that every single person who is arrested doesn’t get out and commit some new offense,” he said.
The magic formula is bars. Solid ones.
Announcing that police wouldn’t even bother responding to car thefts outraged quite a few people and the Dallas PD is claiming it’s all a miscommunication.
Hours later, Dallas Police issued a statement saying the directive had been rescinded.
“The Dallas Police Department has learned that an internal memorandum was forwarded to staff members at the 911 Call Center regarding KPMG’s recommendations to divert Priority 4 calls to the Dallas Online Reporting System (DORS) or an Expediter. Although conversations have been held on this topic, the memorandum was sent prematurely. The department is still in the evaluation phase on this item and will have further dialogue on recommendations and next steps. Therefore, the actions set out in the memorandum have been rescinded at this time.”
But we all know “sent prematurely” is code for, “trial balloon”.
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