With Focus on Property Crimes and Violence, Dallas Police Write Fewer Traffic Tickets

Police in Dallas have issued 37,000 fewer traffic tickets as the force puts more resources toward fighting property crimes and violent offenses.

Officers wrote more than 211,800 tickets in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, compared with some 248,800 in the prior year. The number of tickets has been decreasing since at least 2006-2007, when officers issued more than 495,000.

The Dallas Morning News reports the drop in citations over time could cost the city millions of dollars in lost revenue.

Staffing in the police motorcycle unit, which primarily writes tickets, has been reduced in recent years from more than 40 officers to nearly half that.

Dallas Police Association president Ron Pinkston says more officers are working in specialized task forces that focus on crimes other than traffic violations.

Topics Fraud Property Law Enforcement