Deputy Chief R.H. Watson met with Oak Lawn community members on May 14. (David Taffet/Dallas Voice)
Members of Take Back Oak Lawn, Councilman Adam Medrano and other concerned community members met with Dallas police at Resource Center on May 14.
Northwest Division’s Major W. H. Griffith and Deputy Chief R.H. Watson discussed recent robberies and assaults that have occurred in Oak Lawn targeting people leaving bars or restaurants. Watson suggested several ideas to add police presence and said the Crime Response Team from Northwest was in the area on Saturday night. That allowed a quick response time to any 911 calls in and around the entertainment district.
After a string of attacks two years ago, businesses added cameras in and around their properties, but many of the attacks took place out of sight of the cameras as people returned to their cars. The group suggested putting together a database of cameras on private properties in the area that police could request to access when a crime in the area has been reported.
Take Back Oak Lawn met separately to discuss several new initiatives that include expansion of its volunteer patrol program, a safe space program and placement of emergency call boxes. Call boxes would work like fire alarms but notify police of a crime in progress. Safe space would let people on the street know of businesses they could enter and be protected while waiting for police to arrive. Volunteers patrolling work with police and notify 911 when they see unusual activity in the neighborhood.
— David Taffet
