Old East Dallas community calls for more safety measures following recent shootings

DALLAS - Following several shootings in the Ole East Dallas area, including the shooting of a jogger on the Santa Fe Trail, a Dallas city councilman heard concerns from people in the neighborhood.

The community in Old East Dallas is calling for more lighting and police following multiple shootings. DPD says some of those asks are already in the works to make the area safer. 

Residents are tired of recent violence in their community. They had a conversation Wednesday with Dallas police at the Old East Dallas Work Yard Park.

On July 15, 37-year-old Antonio Lechuga was jogging on the Santa Fe Trail when he was shot multiple times and survived. 

It happened at 6:30 p.m. when the trail is frequented by multiple people. Police have not found the attackers who a witness told FOX 4 fired from a white car.

LINK: Dallas artist recovering after being shot while out jogging

Last month, 14-year-old Jordan Morales was shot and killed at the park near the trail where Lechuga was shot.

Christopher Morales, Jordan’s uncle, attended the meeting to find out what police and the city are doing to make the area safer. 

"There is a disconnect between the community, public officials and law enforcement," he said. "I would love to see us working together."

Things like poor lighting was a common concern among residents and the lack of visible deterrents like cameras. 

Dallas Police Deputy Chief Israel Herrera says prior to the shootings and moving forward, they are committing more resources to this area. 

"We have also incorporated more mounted patrols in the area, bike officers, undercover officers, cameras on the trail," he said. "So a lot of preventative measures, but it ultimately boils down to working with the community to ensure we are alerted when something doesn’t seem right."

Dallas City Councilman Jesse Moreno lives nearby and represents this district. 

"We can’t police our way out of these issues," he said. "We have to have collaborative work, engaging with our pals program, reaching out to our residents in adjacent programs."

A 15-year-old was arrested for Jordan’s murder. Police said there is no connection between that crime and the trail shooter.

MORE: 15-year-old arrested for shooting that killed 14-year-old in Dallas