This post is under construction. Please check back later for the finished product. The name be changed.
Criminal Threats From Our Next-Door Neighborhood
Daily Mail, 9/5/2024—Dallas Police confirm Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua is operating in the city, causing chaos
“The notorious South American mob best known for sex trafficking girls and women and exploiting their fellow Venezuelans, crossed the US-Mexico border in recent years- as DailyMail.com was first to report– mixed in with asylum-seeking migrants, and is behind a crime wave stretching from Miami to New York.“
NBC5, 8/21/2024—Dallas police and fire departments to address overtime in City Council briefing Tuesday
“In 2023, the city spent $11 million more than budgeted for police overtime and an extra $13 million for the fire department. Both departments blame the issue on fewer workers and a steady demand for services.“
Dallas Observer, 8/20/2024—Dallas Will Try Hiring Hundreds of Officers, Something Its Repeatedly Struggled to Do
“A lack of officers can lead to increased response times and high rates of violence, the police say…A Dallas resident led a petition to get the hiring of more officers on the ballot as a charter amendment this November. The measure would force the city to hire another 1,000 officers at a cost of about $175 million for salaries, benefits and equipment, Tolbert said at a recent meeting. Residents behind the petition want there to be three police officers for every one thousand citizens. Recently, city leaders have said this ballot initiative, if passed, would come with drastic cuts to other areas of Dallas’ budget. City Council member Tennell Atkins said at a meeting that the ballot initiative could lead to cuts in infrastructure, parks and recreation, libraries and staff.“
The Dallas Express, 9/8/2024—Violent Youth Crime In Texas Is Skyrocketing
In fiscal year 2023, 8.2% of youths in the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) system committed murder, which breaks down to one out of every twelve admitted kids under the age of 18. That number has skyrocketed from the 1% of youths admitted to TJJD who had committed murder in 2018…Additionally, the number of youths in TJJD with a determinate sentence rose from under 20% in 2018 to 33.6% in 2023. Determinate sentences mean the offender is given a prison or jail sentence with a set length and no possibility of parole. These are traditionally used in more serious crimes, such as murder, aggravated robbery, or sexual assault…Since 2018, the number of TJJD youths admitted for homicide has doubled, firearms offenses have increased by 50%, and felony drug charges have sharply increased from 1,317 in 2018 to 7,978 in 2023.
ALTERNATIVES TO STRENGTHENING ROCKWALL COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT
Option #1: Armed Vigilante Teams
Are armed citizen patrols constitutional? Yes. Is this lawful? Yes. Is this desirable? No.
Texas State Constitution, Article 1, Section 23
“RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS. Every citizen shall have the right to keep and bear arms in the lawful defence† of himself or the State; but the Legislature shall have power, by law, to regulate the wearing of arms, with a view to prevent crime.“
Option #2: Increasing Sheriff’s Office Staffing, Sheriff Deputies and Detention Officers
Update wages and benefits to attract and keep Deputies and Detention Officers. The City of Rockwall has done this.
Rockwall County Detention Center Facts
Most inmates in the Rockwall County Jail are not residents of Rockwall County.
Current inmate population:
Inmates from Dallas County:
What distance separates Rockwall County from the City of Dallas?
From my home on South Lakeshore Drive, the city of Dallas is merely a two-block walk down the street. The city owns Ray Hubbard Reservoir, which the Dallas Police Department has jurisdiction over. In simple parlance, part of the City of Dallas is in Rockwall County.
John White
Rockwall, Texas
John N. White 