Mayor Eric Johnson directs Domestic Violence Task Force to make recommendations to aid violent crime reduction
DALLAS — Mayor Eric Johnson has directed Domestic Violence Task Force to make a series of recommendations to help reduce family violence aggravated assaults by 25% over three years.
In a letter delivered Tuesday afternoon to City Councilmember Jennifer Staubach Gates, the chair of the Task Force, Mayor Johnson asked for the group to report back to him with data-supported and community-driven recommendations by Oct. 1, which is the first day of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Last year, family violence aggravated assaults increased by more than 2% over 2018. In addition, Dallas police reported 32 homicides in 2019 that were connected to domestic violence.
“We cannot accept the status quo, and we must continue to work, to the best of our ability, to stop the scourge of violence in the home and between intimate partners,” Mayor Johnson wrote in the letter. “And as with our broader violent crime issues, we must all commit to playing a part in the solution.”
The mayor directed the Task Force to focus its recommendations on five specific goals:
1. Increase shelter space in Dallas to ensure no victim seeking assistance is unable to access accommodations and services.
2. Ensure Dallas police officers, both patrol officers and family violence detectives, have adequate training and tools needed to respond appropriately to domestic violence incidents.
3. Integrate domestic violence education into Dallas and Richardson ISDs’ curriculum.
4. Provide improved on-demand transportation services for victims of domestic violence.
5. Identify obstacles or circumstances that increase risk of severe injury or death for victims and create actionable plans to address these obstacles.
The Dallas Domestic Violence Task Force was created in 1987. It is made up of dozens of members of Dallas-area agencies focused on combating domestic violence and supporting victims. Read more about the Task Force here.
At a Genesis Women's Shelter breakfast event last week, Mayor Johnson announced that he planned to send the letter to Chairwoman Gates. The breakfast honored Genesis' HeROs (He Respects Others) auxiliary. HeROs are men who participate in programs and volunteer opportunities meant to help victims of domestic violence.
The mayor signed up himself and his two sons, William and George, to become HeROs. He also encouraged other men to join. Read more information about HeROs here.
A copy of the mayor's letter is below.
 
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