District 4 Crime Hasn’t Changed Much As South Oak Cliff Still Faces Poverty, Equity Challenges

A slight 0.28 percent decrease in Dallas City Council District 4 crime over the past year isn’t substantial and could change tomorrow, but it doesn’t mean South Oak Cliff is without challenges when it comes to public safety. 

The glaring issues in District 4 include decaying infrastructure, poverty, and neighborhoods that have been underserved for decades. 

Mayor Pro Tem Carolyn King Arnold has been vocal about her desire for equity. 

District 4 is home to the city’s Southern Gateway and Dallas Zoo, but it’s also an area that struggles, as many neighborhoods are still using antiquated septic systems rather than having access to city water and wastewater utilities. 

The area also gets overlooked when it comes to economic development, Arnold has said. 

In pleading with colleagues for guidance in recruiting a developer to build a nice restaurant or grocery store in her district, King said at an April strategic planning retreat that when dignitaries visit District 4, she has to take them out to dinner at the International House of Pancakes. 

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Crime in District 4

District 4 property crimes are down about 2.72 percent over this time last year, and crimes against persons decreased about 7.34 percent, which looks like a good thing, but the overall numbers in South Oak Cliff rank higher than most of the other 14 council districts. The largest year-over-year jump in District 4 crime was a 34.5 percent increase in drug offenses. 

It’s easy to find a study linking crime to poverty, but experts also make a strong case that people in affluent neighborhoods can easily be targeted by thieves because they have more valuable items to steal. 

“The relationship between poverty and crime is far from predictable or consistent,” according to a 2022 Columbia University study. 

The report revealed “startling news that nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of New York City’s Asian population was impoverished, a proportion exceeding that of the city’s Black population (19 percent). 

“This was surprising, given the widespread perception that Asians are among the nation’s more affluent social groups,” states a report in City Journal. “Asians’ relatively high poverty rate is accompanied by exceptionally low crime rates. This undercuts the belief that crime and poverty go hand in hand.” 

When it comes to race, some Dallas residents say areas of the city that are heavily populated by minorities are unfairly targeted.

Civil rights activist Dominque Alexander told the City Council during an April 12 meeting that he’s troubled by local reports that the use of force by police officers “is not a racial issue.” 

“I find that offensive and outright disrespectful,” said Alexander, who is Black. “We know the data that … more than 60 percent of the people who come to jail and are arrested in this city look like me.” 

He further alleged that violent crime data has been falsified and it is not accurate that violent crime is at an all-time low. Dallas Police Department was the target of a ransomware attack last week and current police department data was not immediately accessible at the time of publication.

On The Campaign Trail

Accountant Jamie Smith challenged Arnold in the District 4 city council race, touting a public safety platform and a pledge to end gun violence. 

King won Saturday’s election, garnering 64.88 percent of the vote. 

“The level of violence we are seeing in our community is holding us all hostage,” Smith said. “We are past the point of talking about prevention. We need a plan of action that brings forth substantial results. Without addressing all aspects of crime, results will remain limited.”

King also addressed crime, poverty, and equity on the campaign trail, often urging her colleagues at the horseshoe to “stay woke” when it comes to allocating dollars for infrastructure, economic development, and bond projects. She has stressed the need for taking politics out of the discussion and providing simple services to areas that have long been neglected.

“It is painful that we are still talking today about treating people humanely,” she said during a September meeting on racial equity. “Let’s stop making it difficult to feed people, to house people. We have to stop worrying about who’s not going to vote for us in the next election and who’s not going to give to the campaign.”

Racial Equity Plan 

The Dallas City Council adopted a Racial Equity Plan in August with the goal of creating affordable housing and identifying solutions for poor, neglected neighborhoods. 

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At the time the plan was discussed, District 12 Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn said a better way to meet those goals would be a master plan for southern Dallas. Otherwise, the city will continue to be segregated, she explained. 

“We have one of the highest poverty rates in the country for a major city, and this should be our urgent priority for the entire council and our city,” she said. “If we were serious about what we were doing in southern Dallas, we would all commit to subsidizing only development in southern Dallas. Do you think that wouldn’t grab the attention of every developer if they had certainty about what their zoning would be — if they had certainty of how we would develop it?”

Arnold has often pointed to the plan to encourage colleagues to approve new development and housing in all districts. But make no mistake, she fights for District 4.

In a December council meeting as the council approved four new housing projects, Arnold asked for a record vote to identify those who were voting for and against the developments.

“This is an item that comes up in the southern sector where we are pushing for affordable housing, infrastructure, and economic development,” Mayor Pro Tem Arnold said at the time. “I want to make sure our public understands who is supportive of us when we talk about equity in this city.”