Now that many of the bars in Deep Ellum have closed, has the party scene shifted to Lower Greenville? How is that affecting crime in our neighborhood?
While some bars have closed in Deep Ellum, others have opened, and Deep Ellum continues to attract significant crowds. In fact our most dramatic crime reductions last year were in Deep Ellum. There are differences in all our entertainment districts. Each of those districts has unique characteristics; for example, there are no late hours permits or dance hall licenses granted for Lower Greenville. The folks who enjoy the Deep Ellum nightlife probably won’t gravitate to Lower Greenville just because some of the Deep Ellum bars have closed. Additionally, this year we are using extra officers to patrol the neighborhoods in and around Lower Greenville to help us reduce neighborhood crime while continuing to have a presence in the entertainment portion to maintain a safe environment for all patrons. We do not see any increases in crime in Lower Greenville attributable to the changes that Deep Ellum has experienced, and expect crime reductions in the Lower Greenville area this year.
Are there any new laws on the books that we should be aware of?
The most notable is the Verified Alarm Response Ordinance that was passed by the Dallas City Council. This is actually an amendment to Article I, Chapter 15 of the Dallas City Code and takes effect February 1, 2006. I know this issue has generated much discussion. I have attended crime watch meetings where the passion on both sides was evident. The change enacted alters only the Dallas Police response to commercial alarm permitted locations. It does not alter our response to panic, duress or holdup alarms at those locations, and in no way changes anything regarding our response to residential alarm sites. I would like this to be an opportunity for everyone to visit our website, dallaspolice.net, to read the actual amendment. I also hope you have the time to explore other pages on the site and take advantage of the information we have provided. Please contact us with any suggestions for improving the site.
