Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson and city leaders Tuesday announced the second year of the “Summer of Safety” campaign, an initiative to keep young people occupied through various activities provided by the city.
At Vickery Park Branch Library, Johnson spoke in front of a crowd of about 40 third- and sixth-grade students from nearby Jack Lowe Sr. Elementary School and Sam Tasby Middle School.
The initiative began last year, and the mayor credited the campaign’s engagement efforts for the city’s decrease in violent crimes in June and July last summer. Tuesday’s conference comes as students will soon be out of schools and have more free time.
Research from the Department of Justice has shown rates of violent crime, including violence involving weapons, is higher in the summer months. The point of the initiative, Johnson said, is to communicate to parents and the community all the activities the city offers, so they can take advantage of them. And most importantly then, stay out of trouble.
“It’s a plea to our parents and to our community leaders to play a more active role in the lives of our youth, to know what our kids are up to, to involve them in enriching activities and experiences and to demonstrate to them that their well-being matters to all of us here in the city of Dallas,” Johnson said.
The initiative is among the many tools the city uses to reduce violent crime. Johnson calls it a “kitchen sink” approach. For Dallas police, their plan has been to target hot spots or 330-foot-by-330 grids – that they say account for a disproportionate amount of violence.
Police Chief Eddie Garcia said the police’s grids are based on data and a recent ransomware attack has limited police from having that data on a daily basis. The city has said it could be months before systems are fully restored.
“To be honest, it’s problematic,” Garcia said. “It’s really impacting our ability to plan for what we’re trying to do, so we’re going off historical data.”
City officials say overall violent crime is down this year, but police have recorded 118 homicides, up about 22.9% from the same period in 2022, according to a Dallas Morning News analysis. In March, 34 people were killed in at least 29 shootings.
At the news conference, Johnson highlighted some of the city’s programs; like 300-plus offered by the Dallas Public Library’s 30 branches, which include a summer reading program as well as language and music classes. Johnson said he personally benefited from the free music lessons the library offers, pointing to his music instructor Bill Smith, who was in attendance.
Smith taught him guitar at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library downtown, Johnson said. Before the news conference, Johnson strummed a few chords on an acoustic guitar next to Smith.
Johnson also has his own program, the “Mayor’s Youth Sports Ticket Program,” to provide young people an opportunity to attend professional, collegiate, or amateur sporting events for free.
Other city leaders in attendance announced their own respective programs. Garcia said the police department offers midnight basketball, boxing, movie nights, kickball and disc golf among other activities.
Dallas ISD superintendent Stephanie Elizalde said the school district will offer free summer camps in June and July. She extended an offer for students in charter schools to try out the program as well.
“They’re all free all day,” Elizalde said. “They have real, certified educators. They all have food, and our buses will even pick you up and take you back home.”
For those looking for outdoor activities, Crystal Ross, deputy director of the parks and recreation department, said there will be 54 summer camps for youth — 22 of which will be free. She also mentioned the city’s aquatic facilities: nine family aquatic centers, nine community swimming pools and 17 spray grounds.
The teen all-access pass is also making a return this year, Ross said. The pass gives complimentary admission for teens 13 to 17 to several city attractions.
“There’s literally no excuse, none, for any child in this city to sit idle at home or expose him or herself to potential criminal activity on our streets this summer,” Johnson said. “No excuse whatsoever.”
Ross had one question for the students who sat side by side in blue chairs in the library: “Who’s ready for summer?”
Every child raised their hand.
