Dallas mayor says public safety a priority during State of the City address

DALLAS - Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson called on people to hold public officials accountable as the city works through the pandemic and a rise in violent crime.

For the first time in city history, he delivered the State of the City address at Fair Park in South Dallas on Tuesday night.

Johnson says public safety must be a priority after 227 murders this year. It's on track to be the most violent year in 20 years.

“We will do so by holding the police department accountable for its civilianization plans and we will hopefully do so by exploring more inter-jurisdictional law enforcement partnerships. As we put more police on our streets to keep people safe, we must hold officers accountable,” Johnson said.

Johnson also claimed reducing violent crime will help the city's economy recover more quickly from the pandemic.