Harry Hines business owners discuss their crime problems with Dallas police
It’s around noon on Harry Hines Boulevard in northwest Dallas.
A young woman in a short dress and sandals is walking back and forth on a busy corner in the 2600 block of Southwell Road, talking on the phone.
Another woman, wearing a thong, walks down Harry Hines Boulevard. She turns around when she sees the NBC 5 camera.
Business owners say prostitution is blatant and ubiquitous here, even on Harry Hines Boulevard, which has a long history of such activity.
One store owner told NBC 5 that Friday mornings are especially busy.
The “Johns” have been paid and are looking for company.
“There are between 30 and 50 girls in our district at any given time, near 635 and Northwest Highway,” said Drew McGill, a real estate agent who represents $38 million worth of properties in northwest Dallas. “Ten years ago, a lot was happening in the Design District.” Growth in the Design District has brought more prostitution to northwest Dallas, he said.
“Everything went up 35% and now it’s here,” he said. It’s so problematic that it happens not only in the middle of the night, but also in the middle of the day.
On top of that, we are dealing with violent homeless people and petty theft that is skyrocketing.
McGill and other frustrated business owners, several dozen in all, met with Dallas police Thursday afternoon in a private meeting to discuss their concerns.
The meeting followed a recent shooting near Parker University on Walnut Hill Lane.
The media were not allowed to attend.
McGill appreciated the meeting, the first of its kind in years, but said many participants felt unheard.
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“I think [the police] just wanted to show that crime is down 14 percent,” he said. Everyone was in an uproar. You could feel the frustration.
This is simply not accurate.
Luis Nuno, a business owner in the area, attended the meeting and said many people were angry.
“It is clear that our police have no resources from the municipal authorities,” Nuno said.
Both men agree that the problem is not police efforts, but the need for more resources.
“They said they couldn’t appoint more officers here because they didn’t have enough to handle the situation,” Nuno said.
McGill believes DPD needs to take a different approach to this largely industrial area with many warehouses.
According to the DPD’s online crime map, there have been 93 arrests for solicitation of prostitution this year, most of them in the Northwest Division.
DPD spokesperson Kristin Lowman said:
While violent crime prevention is a priority for the department, so are concerns about prostitution.
Since March, the ministry has conducted four operations against people soliciting prostitution in the North West Division, resulting in more than 80 arrests. concerns of business owners and community members.
Efforts will continue throughout the city.
DPD will continue to listen to residents’ concerns and work to resolve this issue.
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