Team OSD – Page 52 – The Other Side Dallas

June 12, 2020June 12, 2020

Take A Knee Gaslights Dallas

“Take A Knee” comes to Dallas in the form of a new gaslighting video from Renee Hall and Dallas Police Department.

The new video just released by the Dallas Police Department begins with the statement — “To the communities we serve: We hear you.”

It asks residents to “work together to end racism” and join the department to #TakeAKnee.

Included in the video is Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo as well as other Chiefs and County Sheriff’s across the country joining protesters. The video goes on to say, “Before we can move forward we need to pause… to listen before we speak.” The video includes images of officers from other departments embracing protesters. It includes images of other officers taking a knee as crowds cheer. The video continues saying “Black lives do matter”.

Take a Knee

Dallas police spokesman were unavailable for comment as to whether or not Chief Hall learned this level of gaslighting from Donald Trump during his Dallas visit.

Dallas police have a long history, like Derek Chauvin, of taking a knee into citizens’ backs. It is particularly deceptive for Chief Hall to coopt that phrase given her own violent tendencies and poor command judgements.

We have provided descriptions of officers shooting rubber bullets at bystanders, beating a prone citizen filming activity, and lying about their actions on the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge.

One viewer noted “she had to get footage from elsewhere because all she did was yell and tear gas people.”

Another viewer said this was just to save her budget and perhaps her job.

June 11, 2020June 11, 2020

Visit Dallas Sucks Another Five Years From City of Dallas

Visit Dallas wins. Taxpayers Lose. City Council Surrenders.

Dallas City Council by a vote of 14-1 voted to continue the Visit Dallas contract without putting it out to bid or serious structural reforms.

In January 2019, Visit Dallas was the subject of an audit showing six figure executives salaries and money spent on benefactors neices and nephews as city ambassadors while studying abroad. The audit found Visit Dallas did not demonstrate how it had spent $ 30M in Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) revenue and Dallas tourism public improvement district cash. It also had not made payments to the city for improvements to the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.

Currently multiple members of the Dallas City Council are calling on the City Manager to Defund Dallas Police, yet only one, Cara Mendelsohn, had the backbone to vote to Defund Visit Dallas. Mendelsohn was the only Council Member voting against this contract with a negative Return on Investment for the City of Dallas.

Visit Dallas Operations

The operations of this group are easily called into question, but worse, they openly advertise things to do in other parts of the Metroplex. Currently their website advertised hotels in Denton and Frisco, i.e. City of Dallas taxpayers are subsidizing tourism to assist other cities’ tax base.

According to one email that made the rounds of several Facebook groups including our page, Other Side Dallas, VisitDallas, the DBA for the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau, has a long history of misusing taxpayer funds, creating misleading reports, promoting tourisms for cities other than Dallas, and has always been incompetently led under previous leaders who were all forced to resign due to financial irregularities and whose current CEO faced similar issues in Pittsburgh.”

None of these issues were addressed.

June 10, 2020June 12, 2021

Generous Crêpes That Captivate

Enjoy crêpes sure to captivate your taste buds for FREE. That’s right – lunch at no cost to you.

Whisk Crêpes Cafe in Dallas offers free Nutella crêpes every Thursday for everyone and they are divine if you are dealing with the stressed of COVID19, the George Floyd protests, or just Dallas area traffic. These are a great way to get you one step closer to the weekend.

Additionally, Julien Eelsen offers free crêpes every day to displaced service industry workers and those on the frontlines of COVID19.

They have a great menu supplemented by a great wine selection available for purchase and pick up. The dining room is still closed, but the kitchen is certainly open.

Nutella crêpes for free on Thursday — Free nutella crêpes on Thursday.

In 2019 the Dallas Observer noted “there’s something great about an establishment that dives into what it knows and loves” and we agree. Too many establishments try to be everything for everyone. Whisk brings the best of France and these very thin ‘pancakes’. As would be suspected they serve both sweet and savoury versions and can meet almost any eater’s hopes for a great meal.

More crêpes

Additionally Julien Eelsen and Whisk will be supporting the “I Have A Dream” Foundation on Friday, June 12 with a pop up crêpery at 2422 Victory Park Lane from 11AM to 2PM. This is a great chance to enjoy great food and support a great cause.

The Other Side Dallas team plans to continue to post about both local community, political, and entertainment information.

June 10, 2020June 10, 2020

Budget Memo May Bottom Dollar Police

A budget memo released Tuesday may reorganize next year’s budget for the Dallas Police Department. In the memo Council Member Adam Bazaldua said “We hear many of our constituents’ calls to ‘defund’ the Dallas Police Department.”

The memo asks City Manager T.C. Broadnax to redirect dollars from the police department. It states: “We ask you to present options that reallocate public safety funding…”.

The city is scheduled to hold a budget workshop next week on June 17, during which the council members say they want to hear new ideas.

The memo was signed by all but four council members. In perhaps another sign of the political divide between north and south Dallas, all four represent more affluent north Dallas. Those who did not sign include Adam McGough, Cara Mendelsohn, Jennifer Staubach Gates, and David Blewett.

Budget Memo Preface

Beyond the upcoming budget memo for the next fiscal year though is a discussion taking place at today’s meeting on expanding the Police budget by an additional $6.5M.

Budget Memo Increases Police Budget By $6.5M

Police budget issues have become a hot point since Dallas Police have been found to be assaulting innocent bystanders at George Floyd protests and also caught lying about police activity at those events.

June 9, 2020June 9, 2020

Fans Heartbroken Over Cancelled Fair Park Fireworks

According to a NBC DFW report, the annual Fair Park Fourth celebration in Dallas has been canceled.

Organizers cited the novel coronavirus pandemic and public safety fears as reasons for canceling the annual celebration.

In a tweet, organizers said ” We look forward to Fair Park Fourth in 2021.”

Fair Park News

The State Fair of Texas will not open the Midway over the holiday weekend.

“We’re doing that so that our team can fully focus on the scenarios surrounding this year’s State Fair of Texas in hopes that we will still be able to open the fair,” said Karissa Condoianis, senior vice president of public relations for the State Fair of Texas.

She continued: “At this time, we are not planning to operate the Midway on July Fourth.” Later this week, we will bring other entertainment news.

June 9, 2020June 12, 2021

Community Police Oversight Board – June 9

The Community Police Oversight Board will meet on June 9th from 5:00 pm-7:30 pm. However, they have not responded to numerous people who have requested to speak.

With less than eight hours prior to the meeting no agenda or details on the public comment period has been released to those asking for these details. Again, the City of Dallas and Dallas Police Department appear to be stifling comments.

Those wishing to comment can include their comments in the comments section here and they will be forwarded to the City of Dallas and Community Police Oversight Board. As has been noted in other places, the City of Dallas has repeatedly stifled public discussion and lied about official actions by the police department.

Watch or Listen to Community Police Oversight Board

You can watch it here: https://dallastx.swagit.com/dcn-95-live/

You can also listen to the meeting by Dialing: 408-418-9388
Access Code: 146 561 3416

If you would like to file a complaint Please email: ocpo@dallascityhall.com.

June 9, 2020June 9, 2020

BREAKING: Police Funding Announcement Today

Dallas Police funding is up in the air. Rumors swirl that Dallas City Council will defund DPD after Mayor Pro Tem Adam Medrano indicated a noon announcement today.

Chief of Police Renee Hall’s office had no comment.

Dallas Police Issues

Citizens have taken a tougher stance on the police budget since the inappropriate shooting of peaceful protestors on the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge. Additionally both past issues of local police violence and the recent use of force against bystanders has caused alarm.

June 8, 2020June 7, 2020

Dallas County Schools Not Done Stopping Careers

Dallas County Schools are not done stopping careers short.

Federal investigators proved last week they are not finished with the Dallas County Schools scandal. Louisiana attorney Richard Reynolds became the latest to join the growing list of photo enforcement felons after he entered a guilty plea in the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas to the charge of misprison of a felony.

Misprison of a felony refers to a crime where someone actively conceals a criminal conspiracy and does not report it to authorities. Reynolds helped school bus stop-arm camera operator Force Multiplier Systems bribe politicians and public officials. The return was their endorsement of a lucrative technology.

Reynolds attempted to hide over $800,000 in bribe payments from Force Multiplier CEO Robert Carl Leonard Jr to Ricky Dale Sorrells, the superintendent of Dallas County Schools. Sorrells ensured that his agency approved the $70 million bus camera contract with Force Multiplier. That move ultimately bankrupted Dallas County Schools.

According to the plea, Reynolds admitted his role was to “make it appear as if Leonard and Force Multiplier Solutions were not paying a public official with whom they were doing business.” Reynolds set up shell companies that paid Sorrells “consulting” fees, though Sorrells performed no work.

Another cut-out, Slater Washburn Swartwood Sr, concealed an additional $2 million in bribes to Dallas County Schools Board President Larry Duncan, and Dallas City Councilman Dwaine Caraway, who was the most vocal advocate of photo enforcement on Dallas City Council. For his part, Caraway received $450,000 in cash.

Criminal investigators at the Internal Revenue Service were credited for “following the money trail to uncover ill-gotten gains” that exposed the network of shell companies used to hide public corruption.

Under the plea agreement, Reynolds was charged with a lesser offense that carries the potential sentence of just one year in prison and a fine of $250,000. The other co-conspirators have been sentenced.

Swartwood is scheduled for release from a Dallas halfway house on November 22. Caraway is set to leave Big Springs FCI on April 28, 2023. Leonard is at Oakdale low-security FCI until July 7, 2025. Sorrells is at FCI Beaumont, a minimum security satellite camp until September 2, 2025. Duncan has already served a short term of house arrest.

Dallas County Schools

Dallas County Schools (DCS) was a taxpayer funded school bus transportation government agency. It was founded in 1846 and offered full service and/or supplemental student transportation services to other government entities and localm private, and charter schools in and around Dallas County, Texas. They also served part of Denton County as well. DCS was one of the top student transportation fleets in the nation and operated a fleet of approximately 2,000 buses. They transported more than 75,000 children to and from school safely each day.

Other Side Dallas will update stories on Dallas ISD and other school matters as information becomes available.

June 8, 2020June 12, 2021

Supporting George Floyd Protestors One Case At A Time

One lawyer is supporting George Floyd protestors one case at a time: Jasmine Crockett.

George Floyd Protestors Have Support Of Jasmine Crockett

Crockett, who is also running for Texas State Representative in House District 100 has been so vocal in her support of protestors many ink her number onto their arms prior to joining local protests.

George Floyd Protestors Attacked Numerous Ways

The Other Side Dallas has several articles about Dallas police acting violently and inappropriately since local protests began. In one case a local Community Police Oversight Board member asked for information on the training and plan used at the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge. An article yesterday even showed where the police chief was lying to the public about traffic being impeded – it was Dallas Police blocking both sides of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge – and who initiated conflict.

June 7, 2020June 12, 2021

Dallas Police: Assaulting Citizens Not New

Assaulting Citizens is not new for Dallas Police. As time goes by victims names become faint memories. One such person is James Harrison.

Dallas Police officers shot Harrison when he walked to his front door carrying a screwdriver in 2015 per video released of the deadly incident.

Harrison, 38, can be seen in the police body-camera video walking to the front door. This is after his mother opens it for the officers and walks outside past them. Harrison, who suffered from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, was in distress that day and his mother called 9-1-1 for assistance. Family members told reporters from local news station WFAA the’ve had to call the police on Harrison before.

Harrison came to the door fiddling with a screwdriver.

WARNING: Graphic violence.

“When you’re dealing with somebody that’s mentally ill, you’re not supposed to agitate, you’re not supposed to move fast, you’re not supposed to inflame,” said Geoff Henley. He was the Harrison family attorney retained in the wrongful death lawsuit against the Dallas Police Department.

The City of Dallas offered a settlement to the Harrison family that was “so humiliating” per an employee with the city who has direct knowledge said is was declined outright.

The video shows officers carrying tasers. The less-lethal weapons were never deployed or considered per the video available.

“They didn’t acknowledge him, they just acknowledged the screwdriver,” said David Harrison, the victim’s brother. “Immediately after [my mother] got out of the way … it went from zero to a hundred.”

Dallas Police Assaulting Citizens Not New

Another tie in to today’s police brutality claims is the lack of assistance by officers. In the video it appears officers were shocked Harrison was still alive.

“He’s alive…he’s alive.”
“Should we cuff him?”

Like in the George Floyd protests, officers seem ready to use violence, but not their first aid training. It is unclear how someone is denied the basic humanity of treatment.