A new Summer Violent Crime Initiative is in the works to help curb crime in Dallas.
Called Operation Take Aim, it's a collaboration between the U.S. Attorney’s Office – in partnership with ATF Dallas and the Dallas Police Department – to curb violent crime by federally prosecuting the worst offenders, to discourage them from committing further crimes and entering the federal system.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has already ramped up coordination with Dallas Police and ATF to vet each violent crime case and determine which should be prosecuted federally. Federal charges carry stiffer sentences on some crimes than state charges do, and there is no possibility of parole.
Take Aim builds on an initiative Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia already has in place, funded in part by a Justice Department grant that works to change the behavior of high-risk offenders through a combination of deterrence, incapacitation (arrest), and community involvement.
Two components
According to a release, Operation Take Aim has two components:
- It complements law enforcement’s earlier efforts that focused on specific locations, and instead zeroes in on the people: the most dangerous repeat offenders with violent criminal histories and prosecuting their crimes federally.
- It involves holding deterrence programs called "Reentry Nights" for individuals in the state criminal justice system by encouraging offenders to pursue an education or other productive life path, and deter them from more crimes.
Take Aim also increases federal involvement in initiatives like the Dallas Police Department's Focused Deterrence sessions, which seek to help offenders identified by data as most likely to reoffend.
Because the coordination involves constant collaboration between federal prosecutors and other state and local agencies, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is devoting more prosecutors to handling these cases.
At a June 26 press conference at the Earle Cabell Federal Building, U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton, the chief federal law enforcement officer in the Northern District of Texas, said that violent crime is destructive for the health and welfare of communities.
“If we believe someone presents a heightened risk of continued violence, we will take their case federally,” Simonton said. “When you commit a violent crime, all of us are on the case. And together, we have the manpower, the technology, and the expertise to apprehend you, prosecute you, and put you behind bars.”
Chief Garcia said they're increasing their focus on individuals.
"It doesn't matter if offenders commit acts of violence themselves, with a gang, a crew, a posse, or who they hang out with," Garcia said. "We have made it our business to learn about individuals causing violence in Dallas. Re-offending is not an option, and we will not let violent activity become the status quo in Dallas."
ATF Dallas Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Boshek said that the ATF has "doubled down" in Dallas in what is a unique collaboration in the law enforcement world.
"Nowhere in the country is there the support and the cooperation amongst federal prosecutors, state prosecutors, police departments, and the feds like there is here in north Texas," Boshek said. "We’re committed to helping make Dallas and North Texas safer."
Guns
They're placing a special focus on gun crimes, including prohibited person in possession of a firearm, unlicensed dealing, straw purchasing, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Simonton said that the Northern District of Texas is on track to convict substantially more firearm offenders than in previous years.
The district has historically convicted around 400 firearm offenders each year, and consistently ranks among the top five districts in the nation for gun-crime cases filed. The district’s gun crime conviction rate stands at 97 percent – four percentage points higher than the national average.
Operation Take Aim comports with United State Attorney General Merrick Garland’s directive to U.S. Attorneys to prioritize combatting gun violence and other violent crime.
In addition to prosecuting gun crimes and building up deterrence programs, federal agents and prosecutors will be taking part in community initiatives including those endorsed by Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson’s Summer of Safety program.
