Dallas police report sharp drop in random gunfire calls over Fourth of July weekend

Police say increased patrols, traffic enforcement and community outreach helped reduce holiday nuisance.

Dallas police say the city saw a significant reduction in calls for random gunfire during the Fourth of July holiday weekend compared with last year, a change the department credits to increased enforcement, officer visibility and ongoing public messaging.

From July 3 through Monday morning, Dallas police said officers were dispatched to 125 calls for random gunfire. During last year's holiday period, from July 1 through July 5, the department received 5,739 calls related to random gunfire.

Residents in southeast Dallas said they noticed the difference.

While illegal fireworks were still set off in a vacant lot in the Dixon Circle neighborhood on July 4, Pam Henderson, president of the Dixon Circle Neighborhood Association, said the increased police presence helped reduce both fireworks and gunfire throughout the night.

"I mean, you can tell that the presence of the officers were here, because we didn't have fireworks and gunfire that went way into the night," Henderson said.

Henderson said increased patrols helped reduce the noise and nuisance tied to what she described as a 10-year problem in the neighborhood.

In addition to responding to calls, Dallas police said officers seized more than 1,800 pounds of illegal fireworks that were being sold. Of that total, 1,400 pounds were being sold from a U-Haul near Elsie Faye Heggins.

The department also implemented a new strategy near Klyde Warren Park's Independence Day celebration, shutting down major roadways for 30 minutes to prevent people from illegally parking nearby and firing celebratory gunshots.

Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux said the decrease reflects both the department's yearlong public safety campaign and the work of officers throughout the holiday weekend.

"I believe the reduction reflects the impact of a consistent message we've been sharing over the past year that celebratory (random) gunfire is dangerous, illegal, and completely preventable. It also reflects the hard work of our officers, who increased traffic enforcement and maintained a strong presence throughout the holiday weekend to help keep our streets and neighborhoods safe," Comeaux said.

Henderson said residents continued reporting incidents to help police track ongoing problem areas.

"We did make the calls, so they could have the data to say, this is still an area of concern," Henderson said.

Although Henderson called the reduction in gunfire and fireworks a positive step, she said she hopes the city continues building on that progress with long-term solutions, including fencing around the vacant lot where illegal activity has continued.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC DFW. AI tools helped convert the story into a digital article, and an NBC DFW journalist edited it again before publication.