Chief Eddie Garcia came out swinging saying drug houses a detriment to our neighborhoods in a tweet just two days after a Dallas City Council Public Safety committee meeting focused on drug arrests.
Drug houses are a detriment to our city. Today, Dallas SWAT served a warrant at a high risk location. 6 people were arrested for narco. But, it was the 10th time in 3 yrs we’ve hit this location. My message to landlords: Be warned, be responsible or we WILL hold YOU accountable.
On Monday, new Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia halted a resolution to stop arrests for small amounts of marijuana at his very first Public Safety Committee meeting.
A City Council resolution against arrests for less than two ounces of marijuana has been under review for months since Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot began refusing to prosecute those cases.
Drug Houses A Detriment To More Than Neighborhoods
During the meeting Garcia noted, “The real victims were those businesses in that area that have to struggle with drug dealers posting up in front of their business and having a 24-hour weed sale in front of their businesses. That is something that certainly affects our city.”
Dallas Police Monitor Tonya McClary, who runs the Officer of Community Police Oversight, said 6,000 misdemeanor cases last year, including many for small amounts of marijuana, unfairly targeted African Americans. She complained these arrests leave them with harmful criminal records.
Garcia said you can not arrest your way our of crime and that he intends to have a new violent crime plan by April.
Garcia has been on the job for only one week, but faces an uphill battle with three dead this weekend in an apartment shooting. He is also not following in the steps of his predecessor, Reneé Hall, who was cozy with violent criminals leading to her leaving early after it was disclosed.
