New gangs are forming in Lake Highlands and surrounding areas, say Dallas Police, and they are to blame for an increase in criminal activity including rape and theft. The crimes are concentrated primarily in LH’s apartment communities and in the retail areas nearby.
Speaking at Wednesday’s LH Public Improvement District (PID) meeting and giving crime stats for the PID area (Skillman corridor), Officer Kimberly Mraz, a 13-year veteran of the Northeast Dallas substation, said there have been 4 rapes so far this year (zero within the PID last year-to-date), 13 robberies of an individual (3), 16 car thefts (10), and 29 other thefts (17).
“We’re seeing lots of cell phone grabs,” she told meeting attendees, including incidents where inattentive owners were shoved hard to the ground, sometimes with injury.
“These days, the gangs are not flashing their colors, they’re not covered in tattoos,” continued Mraz. “They look as normal as you and I. They wear collared shirts and khaki pants. They want to blend in. The biggest threat is to people who are distracted on their phone. Most of the violence is against other gangs.
“It’s a different world now, the members don’t have any allegiance. They join one gang today, a different one tomorrow. And they join a lot younger – aged 8 to 20. We saw it in the schools, but now that school is out, they want to fight each other.”
Mraz said vigilance is called for, but stressed that the increased rape statistics can be misleading.
“The FBI has changed the definition of rape,” said Mraz. “They’ve taken out the word ‘forcible’ and called rape ‘any type of unwanted penetration.’” Mraz indicated that more domestic violence situations now fit the definition – a serious concern for police but not exactly the scenario which Lake Highlands faced when the LH rapist struck in early 2013. In addition, late outcries, sometimes from months or years ago, she said, count in today’s stats creating an apparent “spike.”
Overall, her message was one of invitation.
“All the calls that came in during the time we were looking for the LH rapist were incredibly helpful,” said Mraz. “You may know something or see something that might be the key. Just because it seems insignificant, don’t let that stop you from calling.
“I know a lot of people want to remain anonymous, but please leave your phone number. I may need to call you back. It’s not a waste of time – trust me. If it leads to getting someone off the streets, it was worth it.”
Mraz encourages citizens to call 911 if they need help or want to report suspicious activity. To receive info about LH crime stats, her desk phone is 214-670-5304.
