In a panel series called Let’s Talk Uptown, Uptown Dallas Inc., the districts public improvement organization, hosts Dallas’ top experts on subject matters such as new developments and living in Uptown. The most recent Let’s Talk Uptown was a discussion on Public Safety with panelists: Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia, Councilmember Paul Ridley, Dallas Police Deputy Chief Israel Herrera, Assistant Chief of Police Angela Shaw, and it was moderated by Uptown Dallas Inc. Executive Director Kathy Stewart.
Inside The Rustic with more than 100 guests including residents, business owners, and apartment property managers, the discussion held the weight of concerned citizens over recent crimes as well as a positive and collaborative energy to work together with DPD and additional resources to combat crime in the neighborhood.
“Uptown is a vibrant district where residents live closely to popular late-night bar and restaurant activity and naturally that can create a formula for friction,” said City of Dallas Councilmember Paul Ridley. “It’s important we have public interaction with DPD to better understand and cover hotspots.”
When concerns were expressed regarding Promotors and their relation to the violent crimes that have been occurring throughout Dallas and Uptown, Dallas’ Chief of Police, Eddie Garcia said, “There are Promotors coming into our city and we don’t know who they are or what they do; we need more information. DPD is working with the Mayor and the City Attorney to develop more regulations and to ensure they are responsible businesses.”
As a former resident of Uptown, Chief Garcia, commended the community and UDI’s public safety efforts and agreed, “We are not going to solve these issues on our own; it’s going to take a collective effort.”
Dallas Police Deputy Chief, Israel Herrera, who has been working closely with Uptown Dallas Inc. over the past year and has been present at the scenes of recent shootings said, “We are making contacts with establishments that are problematic and we are going to have DPD at these locations and in the area.”
Deputy Chief Herrera described DPD’s plan for the upcoming summer months when activity and issues are typically at a peak.
“DPD is working incredible hours to engage and educate the Uptown community,” said Community Engagement and Operations Bureau Assistant, Chief Angela Shaw. “Today’s event is a great vision to what community investment is like and what is needed.”
Chief Shaw said her team is working on action plans to prevent issues on the front end and before issues happen.
At the end of 2021 and beginning of 2022, the public improvement organization, Uptown Dallas Inc. initiated a contract with security company Tier One.
“As part of this public safety collaboration, Uptown Dallas Inc. will continue to focus our investments on increasing public safety in Uptown through our collaboration with DPD, Neighborhood Patrol Officers, homeless outreach and our security team, Tier One, who patrol the Uptown district 16 hours per day, 7 days a week,” said UDI’s Executive Director, Kathy Stewart.
ABOUT UPTOWN DALLAS INC.
Uptown Dallas, Inc. (UDI) is a non-profit that manages and enhances the public improvements of the Uptown district (PID). Funded by special assessments and paid for and voted on by Uptown property owners, these assessment dollars pay for additional and supplemental services of public safety, capital improvements, maintenance, mobility, and marketing. For more information about Uptown, visit uptowndallas.net and follow Uptown Dallas on social media.
