Urban Specialists canvas event held to help Dallas police reduce violent crime

Urban Specialists canvas streets to help reduce crime

As Dallas police are trying to curb violence in neighborhoods, they are getting help from Urban Specialist, which works to bring positive change to inner city communities and prevent senseless violence.

DALLAS - The Dallas Police Department is using partnerships with federal agencies to reduce violent crime through diversion programs and forensic testing.

But the most valuable partnerships come from the streets and people who know how to identify trouble because they've been there.

As Dallas police are trying to curb violence in neighborhoods, they need help from people who have street cred.

Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia said he has that in Antong Lucky and non-profit Urban Specialist, which works to bring positive change to inner city communities and prevent senseless violence.

"His messaging, his credibility, he is that credible voice in Urban Specialists. We couldn't do it without him," Garcia said.

Starting Friday, Urban Specialists will be in the urban streets.

"We're calling the whole city of Dallas to come out and canvas with us on June 30th to just let the community know that we love and to try to heed the concerns of the community," Lucky said.

They are using social media to spread their neighborhood canvas in areas where trouble and homicides have been high.

"These neighborhoods are neighborhoods that the city of Dallas, and also Chief Garcia, has said they are hot spot neighborhoods, high crime areas, crime likely to occur, and so we want to flood those areas with concerned people who care," Lucky explained.

More than 100 people have signed up to participate in the neighborhood walks, and they are looking for more to sign up online.

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"We have service providers, we have businesses, we have OGs, and we're saying we have to be responsible for what happens in our community," Lucky added.

Lucky has a message for those responsible for murders and violent crime in Dallas.

"Killing ain't cool. It's not cool, and so we're going to lead with that message. We're going to lead with love and we just want the community to know that we care," he said. "We don't want to have to memorialize any more of our children."

They are hoping there will be peace in the streets, especially over the Fourth of July holiday.