Council Member Jesse Moreno, the Dallas Police Department and Deep Ellum Community team up to develop New Deep Ellum Community Safety Plan

DALLAS - Council Member Jesse Moreno is teaming up with Deep Ellum residents, business owners and the Dallas Police Department to launch and advance a new Deep Ellum Community Safety Plan.

The effort - led jointly by Moreno and Assistant Chief of Police Lonzo Anderson, with the support of the Deep Ellum Foundation and Deep Ellum Community Association - was announced at Deep Ellum's Public Safety Monthly Meeting on Nov. 30. To craft the plan, district and DPD leaders will hear first-hand from residents, business managers, bartenders and shopkeepers about safety concerns and what they believe the City could implement to offer a safe environment in Deep Ellum. The planning process will also include community meetings, small workshops, an online survey and a community safety fair, bringing together in Deep Ellum the public safety and first responder providers within the City.

"This Fall, we learned firsthand the benefit of business owners, residents and neighborhood stakeholders coming to the table with our leaders at DPD and at City Hall to address real safety concerns while also balancing neighborhood quality of life and economic needs," District 2 Council Member Jesse Moreno said. "I look forward to taking those lessons learned and now going a big step further to craft a community-driven safety plan for Deep Ellum in 2022."

After the series of community input opportunities, an operational and statistical analysis by DPD and review of local resources to be leveraged via the Deep Ellum Public Safety Program, the Deep Ellum Community Safety Plan is anticipated to be published in advance of Deep Ellum's busy summer season.

"For many years, the Deep Ellum Community and Dallas Police Department have nurtured a relationship based on a shared commitment to improve the quality of life for every residence and business in the downtown area. My desire is to continue to build upon the work and strengthen our shared commitment to making our entertainment district an even more desirable place to live, work, and play, " Dallas Police Department Executive Assistant Chief Lonzo Anderson said. "The Dallas Police Department stands eager to address the needs of the residence and businesses in the community. Forging a vested partnership with city leaders and the Deep Ellum Community Team is vital in developing a comprehensive plan to provide a safe environment."

In addition to DPD, neighborhood residents and businesses will have the opportunity to engage directly with the City of Dallas' Department of Code Compliance Services (CCS), Dallas Fire & Rescue (DFR), the Department of Transportation (DDOT), and members of the City Attorney's Office to devise district-specific solutions to meet Deep Ellum's evolving safety needs.

"As the district continues to grow tremendously, evolve and navigate a new normal in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have to be responsive to the Deep Ellum community's changing needs. We are thrilled at the opportunity to partner with Councilman Moreno once again to take a look at how City services and department practices can be communicated, coordinated and adapted as our neighborhood changes to best serve this cultural and entertainment hub for the entire region," Executive Director of The Deep Ellum Foundation Stephanie Keller Hudiburg said.

Deep Ellum is one of the most historically significant neighborhoods in North Texas and serves as both the inspiration and launching pad for artists, musicians, entrepreneurs and many independent businesses. A mere 0.5 square mile, the district is home to more than 400 businesses today. A cornerstone of the City's tourism industry, this cultural magnet hosted approximately 1.2 million unique visitors in 2019 and has continued to draw large crowds in 2020 and 2021.

"Deep Ellum has a history of being a collaborative community and an entrepreneurial stronghold," Moreno said. "The district hosts the most robust expanded neighborhood patrol program in Dallas in large part to support its nighttime economy. The Public Safety Program was founded by local community leaders to meet a neighborhood-specific need as Deep Ellum continues to grow as the biggest entertainment hub in North Texas. Once again, community leaders are stepping up to partner with the City of Dallas and do their part to meet neighborhood-specific needs."

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