Community Prosecution Section
The Community Prosecution Section was established in 2001 to work in partnership with community members and police officers in developing long-term community-based solutions to quality of life problems. The section is composed of one supervisor, ten community prosecutors, five code inspectors, and one legal assistant.
Each community prosecutor is assigned to work in a specific Dallas neighborhood. They each office in their assigned neighborhood and work with the police and community leaders to develop proactive, creative solutions to quality of life problems such as code violations, noise violations, prostitution, alcohol offenses, and transient crimes.
We are proud to be the recipients of a National Leadership Award presented to us by the United States Department of Justice in June of 2003.
Also in May 2006, the U.S. Attorney General awarded the Dallas Community Prosecution Team with a 2006 Project Safe Neighborhoods National Achievement Award for developing and implementing strategies that reduced gun crime committed by Dallas probationers and parolees by 44%.
Community Prosecution Goals
• Improve quality of life in targeted neighborhoods
• Build meaningful partnerships to proactively and creatively solve community-based problems
• Hold Class C misdemeanor offenders accountable in the criminal justice system and to the community that have been harmed by their quality of life crimes.
What do community prosecutors do?
• Work directly with police officers, other government agencies and community members in targeted areas to solve quality of life problems.
•Listen to community members’ public safety concerns and take those concerns to the courthouse.
•Participate in neighborhood meetings that address crime and quality of life issues.
•Serve as a prosecutorial resource to police officers, city departments, and community members.
•Develop and implement innovative strategies to educate the public about the criminal justice system and to prevent crimes.
How can community members get involved with problem-solving efforts?
Each targeted neighborhood has an A.C.T.I.O.N. team. A.C.T.I.O.N. stands for “ All Coming Together In Our Neighborhood”. Each team meets once a month. Together, they decide, develop and implement strategies within their power as citizens to improve the quality of life in their neighborhood. Community prosecutors assist by providing and organizing city, state or federal resources needed to accomplish their goals.
Find and Contact your community prosecutor to learn about A.C.T.I.O.N. meeting times and locations at these Links:
Old East Dallas | South Dallas/ Fair Park | North Oak Cliff
Jubilee Park | Oak Lawn | Bachman Lake | West Dallas
West Oak Cliff | Lake Highland