Dallas police chief meets with concerned citizens to discuss recent uptick in murders among minors

DALLAS - Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia listened to concerned citizens in East Oak Cliff Monday about the continued violence in Dallas.

There have been three murders in Dallas since Friday. Two of those were 14 and 15-year-olds.

Overall crime down across the city, but homicides stand at 105 halfway through the year. Sixteen of them have been teenagers.

The police chief was at the Cummings Recreation Center Monday along with Councilmember Carolyn King Arnold to listen and talk about the issues.

Noel King, 15, was shot and killed early Friday morning at Derrick Jeter Park in King Arnold's district. He was part of a crowd that had gathered reportedly to watch a fight between two girls. It was set up on social media.

Saturday night in the 4100 block of Alton Avenue in Old East Dallas, 14-year-old Jordan Perez was shot in the head and killed.

In both incidents, two people were shot. 

"It’s very said that you have young teens whose lives are just still so much ahead of them who are engaged in that type of animosity and hatred that they would feel so comfortable coming out around midnight hours engaging in a spat over who knows what," Arnold said.

Chief Garcia hopes community partnerships and conversations can lead to change.

"We need to work collectively, and we need to work together as a community and a department," he said. "It’s not just our crime plan. We need to revest in our neighborhoods."

Belinda Gowans was in the audience Monday. She’s terrified once her great grandchildren enter their teenage years. 

"Create harmony in the place where you live," she said.

Charles Mosley and Stephen Cole walk the streets together. For 20 years, they walked on opposite sides: Cole as a Dallas police officer and Mosley living outside the law. Now, they are working together to trying to catch young people before they mess up and keep guys just out of prison from going back.

"If we can educate in the community first on the uselessness of violence, gun violence revenge vendettas, educate on the uselessness of that but then begin to open other doors and avenues," Cole said.

"I feel especially for guys that are coming out of prison the first 90 days is real crucial," Mosley said. "It’s why I say that. Because if they don’t find a job, we all know what they are going to do."

Non-profits like Taqwa Ministries are walking the neighborhood going door to door and the interest of Councilwoman Arnold hoping to make a difference.