Major Progress within Key Focus Areas

From October 1, 2006 – September 30, 2007

Public Safety

• Public Safety Improved for Citizens
  • Improved Crime Results
    • Dallas had the lowest number of murders in 39 years in CY 2006 with 187.
• CY 2006 represented the third consecutive year of total crime reduction with 14,115 fewer criminal offenses than in 2003.
  • CY 2007 through 9/30/07 total crime is down an additional 3,211 offenses or 4.3%
  • CY 2007 through 9/30/07 violent crime down 13.1%
• Positive Citizen Feedback
  • 2007 Citizen Survey –66% of respondents rated crime as a major problem in Dallas, down from 72% in the benchmark year of 2005 – an 8.3% improvement.
• Public Safety Budget
  • The FY 07/08 budget includes funding to hire two hundred officers above the Department’s yearly attrition (approximately 368 officers).
• Opened the South Central Patrol Division
• Patrol Division and beat realignment and staffing model occurred during FY 06/07
• Began operations on October 24, 2007
• Staffed with over two hundred sworn personnel
• Will provide service to the Oak Cliff area
• Began the Fusion Center Operations
• Known as the Metro Operations Support and Analytical Intelligence Center (MOSAIC)
• Began initial operations in FY 06/07
• Funded through the federal Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant
• Provides real-time criminal intelligence to base resource deployment
• Data-mining for patrol and investigative personnel
• Coordination focal point between DPD and other local law enforcement and homeland security agencies
• Planned to begin 24/7 operations early in FY 07/08
• Created the Hiring Incentives
• Recruit Incentive Plan provides a lump sum payment of $6000 to recruit officers upon completion of the academy and an additional $4000 after probation.
• Military Incentive exempts individuals from the college requirement of 45 hours if they have served 4 years active military duty
• The Police Department increased sworn staffing by 162 officers during FY 06/07
• Received Foundation Funding
• Meadows Foundation
  • January 2006, the Meadows Foundation awarded an $840,000 grant to the Dallas Police Department
• Used to install 34 surveillance cameras in the Central Business District
• Installation and monitoring began Fall FY 06/07
• For the CBD the surveillance cameras have resulted in over 60 arrests and the monitoring of 13 major incidents. Part 1 Crime has declined 9 percent, while there is a 29% decline in violent crime at the end of September 2007.
• W. W. Caruth Jr. Foundation
• During FY 06/07 collaborated with the RAND Corporation to draft the grant proposal to the Community Foundation of Texas (CFT)
• This grant is composed of three phases with Phase 1 designated as an equipment grant.  DPD purchased $5 million worth of equipment and improved technology, including 336 mobile digital computers and video recorders for police vehicles.
• Final proposal for Phases 2 and 3 will be presented to CFT in the Fall FY 07/08
• Implemented a New Pursuit Policy
• Implemented in June 2006 to enhance the safety of the citizens of Dallas and Police Officers
• Allows officers to pursue violators only if they have probable cause to believe that a felony involving the use or threat of physical force or violence has been committed, or to assist another law enforcement agency under the same circumstances.
• High risk pursuits in FY 06/07 were reduced to 79 from 267 in FY 05/06
• Red Light Cameras
• Completed installation of 60 cameras for red light photo enforcement and established the SafeLight, Dallas Stops on Red program that began enforcement on January 15, 2007. 
• From January 15, 2007 through September 30, 2007, officers issued approximately 161,061 citations to offenders; the citations issued equate to approximately $7,227,390 in revenue collected for FY 06-07, which will be used to support multiple traffic safety programs.
• A preliminary analysis of intersections with photo enforcement for the past six months indicates that Dallas has experienced a reduction of 80% in right angle accidents, 4% in accidents caused by left turns and a 40% reduction in rear end collisions.  Although preliminary, these results begin to show the effectiveness of the red light enforcement program in the City of Dallas.
• Emergency Medical Services
  • Two fully-dedicated doctors were added to the Dallas Fire Rescue Department and the Tactical Division of the Dallas Police Department.
  • The City of Dallas was designated as a U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) center for resuscitation medicine, launched two NIH-funded scientific studies resulting in emergency care advances and funding for resuscitation training and equipment for Dallas paramedics and firefighters.
  Emergency Management Services
  • Completed renovation of the $1.07 million Emergency Operations Center, with 66% grant funding.
  • $396,000 Homeland Security grant funds awarded for Reverse 911 which will be fully functional by spring 2008
  • $3.3 million in bond funds for Siren project which will be completed by spring 2008
  • 117 Dallas citizens (8 teams) have been trained in the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT program)
  • Participated in the creation of the $587,000 grant awarded KNOWHAT2DO Public Education program which educates the public on staying safe in the case of a disaster situation. One Staff member serves on the UASI Public Education sub committee.
• Fire-Rescue Services
  • The average response time for all Fire-Rescue Runs was 4:16 minutes, down from 4:43 in FY 05/06.  There were a total of 120,363 Fire-Rescue Runs, up from 112,806 in FY 05/06.
  • The average response time for all EMS Runs was 5:11 minutes, down from 5:49 in FY 05/06.  There were a total of 162,807 EMS Runs, up from 158,769 in FY 05/06.
  • Implemented customer service feedback forms in Arson and Fire Prevention.
  • Implemented the Regional Urban Search and Rescue Team, “Texas Task Force 2,” in April 07.
  • Swift water –Rescue team- in-service July -07
  • New Fire  Station # 40 (Hampton at Kirnwood) open Nov. 07
  • Additional front line rescue (ambulance) station 52 July 07 (2504 Crockrell Hill Road)
  • Secured 1.7 million in Urban Area Search Initiative (UASI) grants
  • Purchased 35 thermal imagers, which allow firefighters to detect various objects in smoke filled environments.  Each fire company will now be equipped with a thermal imager increasing their ability to make entry into a smoke-filled environment.
  • Developed a new candidate physical ability test (CPAT) that allows for a more accurate measure of the candidate’s ability to perform the duties of a firefighter.  In the two groups of applicants tested thus far by the Dallas Fire-Rescue, the success rate is over 90%.
  • Established the Dallas Fire-Rescue Wellness Program as a proactive measure to evaluate the current physical fitness condition of our members and provides incentives for maintaining a level of fitness that is conducive to good health. 
  • Conducted the Fire Efficiency Study and are currently working on implementation.
• Introduced New  Technology
  • E911 Infrastructure Upgrade
    • Upgraded the existing 911 telephone system and replaced the Dictaphone Audio Recording System that records all 911 calls. Also installed a monitoring application to monitor the 911 telephone system.
  • CAD System
    • Enhanced the City’s ability to dispatch emergency fire and police calls through the implementation of a new CAD system in August 2007. 
    • The previous dispatch system was designed and launched in 1972.
    •  The new system allows for interoperability, the use of a fully integrated automatic vehicle locator, information sharing across agencies, flexibility in allowing the movement of information from 911 to first responders, and allows for easy access to premise history.
  • Established Project Reconnect
    • Provides services for ex-offenders
      • Number of clients employed: 58
      • Number of clients housed: 32
      • Number of clients attending educational training: 12
      • Number of clients in recovery support: 2
  • Implementing Safe Routes to School
    • City awarded more than $2.5m in federal funding to improve school pedestrian safety.

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