Dallas police roll out new system to report vehicle thefts on the rise
DALLAS - The city of Dallas saw a sharp rise in one type of crime this year: vehicle thefts are up roughly 40%.
That also means wait times to file a report are unbearably long for victims.
Starting Monday, the Dallas Police Department launched a new reporting system to try to cut down on those wait times.
Right now, the average response time to a stolen vehicle is 12 hours. The Dallas Police Department says the focus right now is on that initial response time, admitting it's unacceptable.
A quick look online reveals countless people in Dallas desperately looking for their vehicles.
The Dallas Police Department expects to end the year with more than 18,000 auto thefts.
One of them is Derrick Johnson’s dream car. He was out with friends Saturday evening in Downtown Dallas. At the end of the night, his Camaro was gone.
"After we canvassed the area and called lots and the impound lots, I did get police involved," he said.
Johnson says it took nearly eight hours for an officer to show up and take a report.
Dallas police admit the average time it takes to respond to an auto theft call is 12 hours.
On Monday, DPD rolled out a new procedure in an effort to cut down on response times on patrol officers.
Now, when a caller dials 911, they will then be connected to a video chat call with limited-duty police officers who are injured or not on the streets due to another reason.
"It’s, one, officer safety. It’s they are aware of a vehicle on the road that is stolen and then getting it in the system faster and getting the car recover quicker for the resident as well," said Kristin Lowman with Dallas PD.
Like many major cities in the U.S., Dallas is trying to tackle a surging caseload of reported car thefts.
Once the report is taken, it goes to the auto theft unit made up of 12 officers at DPD.
A dozen officers to investigate the most committed crime in Dallas.
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Dallas police say violent crime against people is the priority over property crime but acknowledge the crimes are often connected.
Just last month, a Dallas man was shot and killed while trying to chase down his family’s stolen truck. Surveillance video showed the thieves pushing the truck down the street.
Johnson is just glad he’s safe but is now without a car and no indication if it will be found.
"I’m considering it a lost cause right now," he said. "Although there is a sliver of faith someway, somehow it will turn up."
This is a trial period for the new procedure to see if it helps.
This year, Dallas police will record more than 18,000 auto thefts. Last year, the number was 13,000.