Dennis Road and Royal Lane: Drugs, Prostitution, Gambling, Homeless Camp

I wrote last month about the challenges in Northwest District 13 and my efforts with neighborhood leaders, Code Compliance, Dallas Police and senior city staff to address these. See last month’s article. This includes the area between Webb Chappel and Denton Drive/ LBJ and Northwest Highway.

Police, Code Compliance and the City Attorney’s office have formed a team to address this. I am excited by the cooperation and commitment to resolving this long-term problem area.  One of the great achievements is the cleanup and dismantling of a filthy homeless camp behind some of the stores. The following is from an October 30 email written by Northwest Division Assistant Police Chief  Malik Azziz:

“I held a meeting with all of the area store owners and managers last week.  90 percent of them signed the Criminal Trespass Affidavits Forms  (which give permission to police to remove or arrest loiterers after hours) and expressed an interest to help and many were very vocal about the problem they had given up on.  They praised our efforts in being proactive and seeking them out. It was a first… The Texaco and C-Store locations were identified as the core of the problem for loitering, illegal vendors, drugs, prostitution and gambling.

We made one drug arrest for marijuana and Narcotics addressed the location (C-Store) twice with success.  The follow up is forth coming. 

We made 3 prostitution arrests on location in the last 3 weeks and we ran an operation this morning with Vice that netted 7 prostitution in the upper Harry Hines Blvd.  We will continue to address narcotics and vice issues. 

…We have an Accord Meeting next week with the owners to get the issues resolved as to what type of actions they addressed and did not address. 

I sent a letter last year about the illegal gambling machines at the C-Store and the Texaco and both returned.  The C-Store removed their machines again after our request.  The Texaco did not and Vice ran an operation at my request which resulted in a seizure of cash and 2 gambling machines.     

We are in the process with setting up a meeting with the Mexican Consulate, Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and North Texas LULAC to address the Day Laborer relocation issue and look for solutions together in providing a place for day laborers to get work.  We have no location at this time and they may be able to provide us with contacts for a suitable business location that is willing to allow day laborers.

Code Enforcement has been addressing problems at the location with us and the Community Prosecutor has been involved.  

We cleaned up a Homeless Camp on Dennis two days ago.

The challenge is still enormous but we are slowly trying to take this area back and the neighborhood and business owners are on board.”

Thank you Chief Aziz!!

I commend all of those involved in this great effort.  There is much more to do and I will continue to work on it and keep you updated.