Reported crime in Dallas fell about 10 percent in 2010, continuing a steady march downward that started seven years ago, says the Dallas Morning News. Police credited factors including public surveillance cameras, specialized crime reduction operations, and the addition of 750 officers since 2004. Overall robberies fell more than 18 percent, with the business robbery component down more than 30 percent. Auto thefts fell nearly 20 percent.
Dallas, with 73,286 reported offenses in 2010, has seen a 36 percent reduction in crime over the last seven years. Violent crime has fallen nearly 50 percent over nine years. The reduction in the major crimes that go into a city's overall crime rate – such as murders, aggravated assault, and robberies – is impressive considering that the Police Department continues to report some crime statistics incorrectly to the FBI. Because police say no changes have been made in the way the department reported crimes over the last year, the 10 percent decline would probably stand even if the department did not deviate from national guidelines. “It's a true comparison from year to year,” said Chief David Brown. “If we're doing something inconsistent with the guidelines, but we're doing it consistently from year to year to year, it's not increasing or decreasing crime.”