America Tale of Two Cities
One has become a national role model for law and order, the other has descended into a war zone. BY MATTHEW LYSIAK
S
ixty percent of americans say reducing crime should be a top priority this year, according to a new Pew Research survey — a 10% increase from when Joe Biden came to office in 2021. Newsmax looks at two cities who have applied different tactics to tackling crime and
achieved very different results.
Dallas Crime at Record Low “If you break the law, you’re held accountable.”
took notice,” said Johnson. This year, violent crime will fall
again — a remarkable third straight year of reductions. Dallas Chief of Police Edgardo
Garcia told Newsmax that the city’s success can be attributed to several factors, including tough-on-crime policies, as well as an increased police presence in high crime areas, which have had a deterrent effect leading to less incidences of violence. In addition to more boots on the
ground, as part of its Violent Crime Reduction Strategic Plan the city pro- vided resources to high crime areas such as childcare, clothing, food, job interviews, transportation, health services, and mental health services. Heritage Foundation researcher
Zack Smith, author of Rogue Prosecu- tors, told Newsmax that there is a far simpler explanation for the city’s stel- lar safety record: the enforcement of the law. Unlike many of the nation’s larg-
A
s violent crime continues to spike across America’s largest cit-
ies, Dallas stands in defiance of the nationwide trend — and is instead witnessing a drop. Data from the past two years has
officials touting its remarkable success story as evidence that through a com- bination of policing and policy, a large American city can also be safe. As of today, overall violent street
crime is down 21.93% citywide com- pared to 2023, while aggravated assaults are down 25.73% and murder is down 27.40%, according to figures released by the police. The sentiment of the city’s resi-
dents echoes the data. In an August 2023 Gallup survey that polled those who lived in big cities, Dallas was named the safest of large cities in the
22 NEWSMAX | JUNE 2024
United States. Since then, the crime rate has con-
tinued to decline. By the end of 2023, shootings and violent crime offenses had been reduced 20.99% from the previous year. In total, there were 1,548 fewer vic-
tims of violent crimes in 2023 com- pared to 2022. Further, violent crime was down 23.78% compared to the end of 2020, with 3,018 fewer victims of violent crime. In his Dec. 1 State of the City
Address, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson boasted about the city serving as a national role model of law and order. “For two consecutive years coming
out of the pandemic, Dallas saw vio- lent crime fall in every major category. That’s something no other top 10 city in America achieved. And our nation
est cities, Dallas has found a way to overcome their progressive District Attorney John Creuzot by granting more authority to the state’s attorney general, Ken Paxton, who has taken a more conservative stance on crime, according to Smith. “The district attorney was forced
to back away from some of the most radical aspects of his policies,” said Smith.
Further, the city’s recognition
of its citizens’ Second Amendment rights has made it easier for gun-own- ing residents to defend themselves, a fact not lost on the city’s criminal element, according to Smith. Dallas also continues to enforce seemingly minor quality-of-life crimes, which has a wide-ranging ripple effect on the rest of the com- munity, according to Smith. “A big difference you will see is
that if you live in Dallas, those who break the law are held to account,” said Smith. “Incentives matter, and in Dallas crime doesn’t pay,” he added.
DALLAS/TOM PENNINGTON/GETTY IMAGES / JOHNSON/FACEBOOK
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100
