Amid slight uptick in violent crime, Arlington police launch new strategy - The Dallas Morning News

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Arlington Police Chief Al Jones announced a new crime reduction strategy this week to combat a slight uptick in violent crime across the city.

Violent crime — which includes homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault — jumped nearly 4% in 2020 from the previous year, according to Arlington’s annual police report.

The increase was driven primarily by domestic violence and aggravated assaults, Jones told City Council members during their meeting Tuesday.

“I believe one homicide here in Arlington is too many,” Jones said in a release on the city’s website. “But if you look at the landscape across the country, a majority of major cities have experienced an increase in violent crime and homicides. Arlington is no different.”

In response to the uptick, Arlington police will launch Operation Connect, which aims to reduce crime and build relationships.

Using real-time data, the department will identify hot spots for violent crime and vehicle crashes then allocate additional resources, including police officers and civilian employees. Communication with the public will be a major component of the strategy, Jones said.

“Normally, we do it backwards in policing. We go out and flood the area, then explain to the citizens why we’re doing something,” Jones said on the city’s website. “But we’re taking a different approach here and making sure we’re educating them beforehand. We’re still going be arresting bad folks who are committing crimes in our neighborhoods. But the communication piece is so important. Communication is the key to building relationships.”

In coming weeks, officers plan to meet with community groups and businesses to explain the strategy, and additional officers will begin patrolling neighborhoods on foot in an effort to improve accessibility, Jones said.

Additional highlights of the 2020 report:

• While violent crime increased slightly, overall crime fell about 7% in 2020.
• In the last five years, 61% of newly hired police officers were women or racial minorities after a program was implemented to have the force “more accurately reflect the city’s diverse population”
• The city recorded 23 homicides, up from 17 in 2019

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Amid slight uptick in violent crime, Arlington police launch new strategy - The Dallas Morning News
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