3 days ago
Nearly 100 repeat violent felons arrested in Dallas
The Brief
Nearly 100 repeat violent felons were arrested in Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux's first major operation, "Operation Justice Trail."
The month-long operation cleared 163 warrants and targeted individuals responsible for over 700 past crimes, including capital murder and aggravated assault.
Some suspects identified by the operation are still at large, and the initiative will continue through the summer.
DALLAS - Nearly 100 repeat violent felons were taken off the streets of Dallas in new Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux's first major operation since joining the department five weeks ago.
What we know
On Thursday, Chief Comeaux touted the results of his first big initiative as chief.
Operation Justice Trail was built on the groundwork laid by former Chief Eddie Garcia's violent crime reduction plan.
"The goal was to identify and locate all felons who were walking around on the streets of Dallas," Comeaux said.
Officers used a combination of the city's camera system and old-fashioned good police work to make the arrests.
By the numbers
Over the month of May, law enforcement officers cleared 163 warrants and arrested 98 violent felons.
LINK: Full list of names, mugshots and charges for those arrested
Chief Comeaux said that in total, the suspects are responsible for 700 past crimes such as capital murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, sexual offenses, and a range of narcotics and weapons violations.
Three of the people arrested currently have Immigration and Customs Enforcement holds.
What they're saying
"When I came in, it was like we have to do this. We must do it. We're going to do it right now," Comeaux said. "We got the team together and said, 'Who do we need to get off the streets first?' We started putting the list together and going down the list."
"Our message is clear. We're putting violent felons on notice. If you're wanted, turn yourself in," said Assistant Chief Catrina Shead, who led the operation.
Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot said he knows some of the felons could bond out of jail. He vowed to do what he could to keep them behind bars.
"At the end of the day, the court sets the bond and decides what to do if there's a bond violation," DA Creuzot said. "There's a new law coming on board, subject to a constitutional amendment vote, that will help us get refocused on that to the judges, and it will also give the judges more guidelines to set more appropriate bonds. And we'll have the right to appeal and some other things."
What we don't know
Some suspects identified by Operation Justice Trail are still wanted.
The chief could not provide a number for how many are still out there but said the operation will continue into the summer months.
What you can do
Anyone with information about a wanted felon is asked to call the Dallas Police Department or use the iWatch Dallas app to submit a tip.
Anonymous tips are also welcome through Crime Stoppers.
The Source
The information in this story comes from the Dallas Police Department and Chief Daniel Comeaux's Operation Justice Trail news conference.
