Councilmember Cara Mendelsohn

COTTON BELT SOUND WALLS - The DART Cotton Belt/Silver Line virtual sound wall town hall will be on Tuesday at 7 pm. We will review the input received, concerns about multiple colors/textures, and options for a green wall. Information about the specifications and maintenance will be shared. The DART project manager will be on the call. A link will sent to everyone by 5 pm on Tuesday that is registered here: https://forms.gle/FLhqcrMeXEYKNR6bA.

Best, Cara

PS- New COVID testing and vaccination sites have been added to the city website, along with virus data, legal orders, business assistance, and more at: https://dallascityhall.com/Pages/Corona-Virus.aspx

Founded by District 12 residents and survivors, the Be The Difference Foundation will hold their annual fundraiser, Wheel To Survive later this month. You can participate in this Ovarian Cancer Fundraiser and Awareness Event at Gilley's or in your own home. Sign up: www.wheeltosurvive.org/dallas2021. See you there!

Thank you to all who participated in the polls and provided feedback about a possible Campbell Green Recreation Center update and expansion. Here is a drawing that includes all the options presented. The grey areas are to remain essentially the same with a refresh, the green areas are to be remodeled and the orange areas are additions. The top of the drawing is Campbell Road and the left of the drawing is Park Hill Drive. As the Parks Department works through a draft of costs and designs, we'll have a community meeting to get input. Also, PARK HILL DRIVE has been added to the public works priority projects and will be resurfaced in the coming year.

If you find the conditions in any city park are not what you expect, please call 311 to report it. There is a robust maintenance staff that is dedicated to making sure you have a good experience. If you see trash beyond what you could pick up and put in the can yourself, wasps, feces, erosion, graffiti, or anything else surprising (in a negative way), please call 311! Thank you!

DATA LOSS:

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PROPERTY TAXES:

HOMELESSNESS:

As a city and nation, there have been extensive conversations and actions taken related to public safety. Every week council members receive crime reports from DPD and monthly there is a comprehensive update. Here is an extensive update on police and non-police activities that contribute to public safety in Dallas, including in District 12. As you will see, some items are traditional measures and factors addressed, and others are non-traditional public safety initiatives backed by data. At the end of this item are the weekly crime statistics.

The RIGHT Care program - Expansion of Rapid Integrated Group Health Care Team (RIGHT Care) The goal is to use mental health professionals in various capacities in order to divert behavioral health calls away from DPD patrol officers and provide specially trained professionals to respond to individuals suffering a behavioral health crisis.

The utilization of alternate resources through North Texas Behavioral Health Authority’s (NTBHA) Chronic Care Teams and the newly funded four additional RIGHT Care teams will provide a higher level of appropriate care and divert individuals with mental health issues away from the criminal justice system. The teams will work throughout the city and will be available 16 hours per day, 7 days per week. In addition, the NTBHA will provide qualified mental health professionals in the 911 call center. These mental health professionals will be trained as telecommunicators by the Dallas Police Department. They will have the ability to address behavioral health calls from the onset and make a determination on the appropriate level of response. This tiered approach will allow for a response by mental health professionals assigned to the NTBHA chronic care team, Right Care team or in situations in which a weapon or violence exists the Dallas Police department.

This planned expansion of the program with a goal of answering 50% of the behavioral health calls is now complete. Planning is underway with DPD, DFR, PMH and the North Texas Behavioral Health Authority for the addition of five more teams as proposed in the FY 21-22 budget. Training dates will take place in October as the first phase of this expansion begins.

Mobile Crisis Response - The Mobile crisis response teams are designed to create safer communities by responding to individuals in need of social services and ensuring that the proper resources are provided. Members of the mobile crisis response unit will report to the Office of Integrated Public Safety Solutions. Crisis caseworkers will be assigned to work at each of the Dallas Police Departments seven patrol divisions.

Law enforcement officers are not equipped to provide the help necessary for disadvantaged, distressed and vulnerable persons in danger and in need of professional assistance. The implementation of the new crisis response teams will provide a humanistic approach to persons suffering from addiction, homelessness and mental health issues and avoids the criminalization of these human conditions. Mobile crisis caseworkers can be called to the scene in these situations and provide non-law enforcement solutions. This new program will allow law enforcement to spend a greater amount of time focusing on deterring criminal activity and violence. Mobile Crisis Team Implementation Schedule

Violence Interruption - Another new initiative that received funding is violence intervention programs. These programs are designed to address violence through non-traditional community-based interventions. The Office of Integrated Public Safety Solutions will work with organizations that provide these non-law enforcement strategies to address violence in the community and provide sustainable solutions.

Violent criminal behavior must be addressed at the root cause level and utilize influential members of the community to intervene in situations that could lead to violence. These violence interrupters will mentor individuals that are on the path to incarceration and provide alternatives and opportunities to ensure they do not become a part of the criminal justice system.

Environmental Improvements for Crime Reduction - The Office of Integrated Public Safety Solutions received funds in the FY 21 budget to address blight and lighting within high crime areas. A neighborhood’s physical conditions and the social dynamics are among the primary reasons why crime occurs in very specific neighborhoods. Urban blight and decay are now widely recognized as factors that promote, encourage, and contribute to criminal activity.

Code violation investigations and blight remediation activities within the identified Risk Terrain Model areas for August 2021. Criminal activity is greatly influenced by causal factors in the physical and social environment. Changes to the physical environment such as new streetlights can augment efforts to promote public safety and help reduce and prevent crime. Upgrading street lighting is an ongoing need. The city has over 80,000 streetlights, the majority of which are owned and operated by Oncor.

The Office of Integrated Public Safety Solutions has placed the following orders for upgraded L.E.D. lighting to increase Public Safety

Number of lights ordered for installation and # installed to date:

Code violations - identified and worked 515 Code cases complete by owner compliance, 26 Code cases complete by city intervention, 149 Commercial business inspections, 204 Vacant lots remediated, 52 Zoning cases worked, 119 Substandard structure cases worked, 50 Location by Streets

RECOVERY SERVICES CENTER An Interlocal Agreement with the North Texas Behavioral Health Authority (NTBHA) is being developed with the City Attorney’s Office for access to NTBHA’s substance abuse and mental health provider network. When the agreement is completed, NTHBA will place staff at the Sobering Center. This will enhance the Sobering Center’s services including being able to follow up with individuals referred to community-based programs. Completion of the facility renovations are pending Building Services authorizing a contractor to begin work which they have indicated will be completed by the end of October. The delay is due to material shortages and delivery times. A soft opening of the Sobering Center began on May 19th to test staffing levels, workflow, and procedures. Through August, the following was the activity in the Sobering Center with individuals brought to the City Detention Center (CDC):

Additional staff members were onboarded on August 16th leaving one Supervisor and two Caseworker position to be filled. As the remaining staff is onboarded, the percentage of individuals referred to treatment will increase. In August, the percentage of individuals referred to treatment increased from 15.51% to 17.6%. The project timeline is below and will be adjusted as the Center progresses.

RE-ENTRY SERVICE PROGRAM The Re-Entry (returning from prison) Services solicitation has been evaluated and is in the contract negotiations stage under management of Office of Procurement Services, with contract authorization expected in September 2021. Workforce Re-Entry Services is proposed to transition to the new Small Business Center in FY22.

911 COMMUNICATIONS DATA - Regarding the average answer time data as reported on the Mayor’s Monthly Public Safety Report, the Dallas Police Department has discovered an error in which this information had been previously reported. The Dallas Police Department has corrected the calculations and has provided below the updated and corrected average answer response times for fiscal year 20-21. As you can see our recent efforts have made a dramatic improvement in the level of service.

FY’ 20-21 Average Answer Times -Month Average Answer Time in Seconds

Mayor's Monthly Public Safety Report August-31-2021:

Murder victims by race:

YTD Murders by council district:

Below are the citywide crime data (3 spreadsheets) and then the District 12 data (3 spreadsheets) received weekly by Councilmembers and the Mayor.

Need help, got a question, or want to give input?

Email: Cara.Mendelsohn@DallasCityHall.com

Office phone: (214) 670-4067

Text phone: (214) 490-1036