Downtown Dallas Inc. stepping up security, homeless outreach for summer

As activity in the Dallas CBD picks up as the pandemic subsides, Downtown Dallas Inc. is launching a public safety improvement operation this summer.

The Economic Development Group plans to work with law enforcement to increase security and expand efforts to educate the homeless. The operation will also aid the cleanup and enforcement efforts to improve the overall quality of life in the inner city.

Kourtny Garrett, President and CEO of Downtown Dallas Inc. said the group’s financial commitment to increase staffing is made with the expectation that more people will return to their jobs and more people will love to eat, entertain and shop come to town.

“Safe and clean, as we call it in our industry, is our top priority,” she said. “It’s fundamental to the downtown area.”

Downtown Dallas Inc. is funded by voluntary membership fees and income from property owners in the Downtown Improvement District. The organization also signs contracts with the city for specific projects and programs. Its members include hotel and restaurant companies, real estate developers and the media. (DallasNews Corp., the parent company of The Dallas Morning News, is a member.)

Garrett said the organization doesn’t need additional funding for its summer public safety plan.

Downtown Dallas Inc. clean team members are working at Pacific Plaza on Wednesday.(Tom Fox / employee photographer)

As part of the plan, the organization will pay the Dallas Police Department off duty to increase patrols downtown during peak hours. In addition, the group said it would use more staff to report violations of the code to authorities and city officials.

During summer operations, the organization said the Dallas Police Department will step up park controls and enforcement of park rules. Downtown Dallas Inc. will also provide information to the authorities about “hot spots” based on patrols and complaints.

Although combating homelessness is a focus of the operation, Garrett stressed that it wasn’t about criminalizing homelessness or driving people out of the inner city.

“Homelessness is too often criminalized,” she said. “So there has to be a real understanding of whether a person is really committing a crime or whether it is a person who has an authority in their life that could be improved with the help of one of our service partners.”

Garrett said the organization had nurtured relationships with people in need through its Homeless Outreach Team, an initiative launched in 2018. She said.

This year, according to Downtown Dallas Inc., the outreach team has connected more than 2,000 times with people experiencing some levels of homelessness. Of the people the team has worked with, 157 have been reconnected to long-term support networks and 118 have received help finding accommodation.

Downtown Dallas Inc. announced that it plans to expand its field service teams – who work on homeless assistance, cleanliness, and safety – from approximately 55 to more than 80 people. As of July 12, the organization also plans to add a director to oversee the homeless extensive program.

Downtown Dallas Inc. public safety officials instruct a man to pour his beer while they patrol Pacific Plaza on Wednesday.Downtown Dallas Inc. public safety officials instruct a man to pour his beer while they patrol Pacific Plaza on Wednesday.(Tom Fox / Employee Photographer)

Peter Brodsky, chairman of the board of directors of the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, said the business development group is a valuable partner in combating homelessness in the downtown area.

“They kind of plunged into an area that honestly shouldn’t be one of their core competencies,” he said.

Brodsky said the additional staffing for the economic development group’s homeless outreach team will go well with the newly announced rapid relocation initiative, a multi-million dollar effort to accommodate more than half of Dallas’s homeless population by 2023.

“It’s a great thing for her to be able to recommend someone for this program and hopefully have a much higher chance of getting her into an apartment right away,” he said. “It’s all very symbiotic for me.”

When asked how an increased police presence might affect people who are homeless and uncomfortable with law enforcement, Brodsky said he believes Downtown Dallas Inc. will handle interactions sensibly.

“Your approach is nowhere near a punitive enforcement approach,” he said. “So I don’t think the extra cops are really meant to deal with homelessness problems.”

Scott Goldstein, a spokesman for Downtown Dallas Inc., said that part of the plan that aims to increase police visibility in the downtown area will not dramatically change the number of officers in the area.

Sgt.Ryan Peterson (left) and Tim Walker of Downtown Dallas Inc. safety talk Tuesday in Main Street Garden Park.Sgt.Ryan Peterson (left) and Tim Walker of Downtown Dallas Inc. safety talk Tuesday in Main Street Garden Park.(Elias Valverde II / employee photographer)

“Generally it will be rush hour, late night, early morning,” he said.

Dallas deputy police chief Israel Herrera said the summer public safety efforts will help prevent aggressive driving and speeding, as well as property crime and suspicious activity in the downtown area.

Herrera said the partnership with Downtown Dallas Inc. provides an opportunity to share information and work together on solutions.

“We’re just trying to make sure we don’t offer a one-size-fits-all approach to every problem,” he said. “When they get better, they make us better and it’s about working with each other, networking with information and intelligence.”

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said in a written statement that cooperation between law enforcement, institutions and communities is needed to make public safety in the city a priority.

“I’m encouraged by the evidence-based action plan that Downtown Dallas Inc. is working with other agencies to implement to ensure the continued success of our vibrant city center,” said Johnson. “It’s the kind of collaboration we need to make Dallas safer.”

People who work in the downtown bar and restaurant industry said they support efforts to improve public safety.

Downtown Dallas Inc. security officer Anthony Alvarado is on patrol Tuesday in Main Street Garden Park.Downtown Dallas Inc. security officer Anthony Alvarado is on patrol Tuesday in Main Street Garden Park.(Elias Valverde II / employee photographer)

Zach Tougas, a bartender at the Green Door Public House, said he welcomed efforts to increase public safety but had not seen a noticeable increase in problems between the bar patrons and the local homeless population.

“We didn’t notice anything too crazy,” he said. “Nothing outside of normal inner-city life. They expect to see it. “

Chris O’Neal, general manager of the Press Box Grill sports bar and restaurant, said he regularly interacts with people affected by homelessness in the area and, like Tougas, appreciates the support from local organizations.

“If there is someone who is willing to help, I appreciate the help. It doesn’t matter if it was before the pandemic or now, “O’Neal said.

Jesuorobo Enobakhare Jr., chairman of the city police oversight committee, said the city-appointed board of directors was not contacted by Downtown Dallas Inc. about the summer security plan.

The board works with the Dallas Police Department to recommend reform, but is also a channel of communication between the community and law enforcement agencies to highlight police-related concerns, Enobakhare said.

While hoping for the best for the initiative, Enobakhare also hopes groups like Downtown Dallas Inc. can work with the board of directors.

“It would be great if such groups reached out to the Police Inspectorate and said, ‘How can we work together to make sure we are able to prevent crime and protect businesses without violating civilian rights?’ “Enobakhare said.

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