Areas to Avoid / Crime, Dallas

Dallas is ranked among the top three most dangerous cities in America, however, if you know where your going and stay away from rougher areas you should be fine.

North Dallas is one of the safer, more upscale areas of Dallas. Highland Park has great shopping, eating, and sightseeing. Have no worries here.

Deep Ellum - I have never had a problem here, however, watch out and be aware. Try to avoid going past the more populated areas and you should be fine.

Downtown - If you don't go downtown, you miss out on a lot of art and culture Dallas has to offer. Treat Dallas like any other big city, don't draw attention to yourself, know where you are going, and you'll be fine.

South Dallas and Fair Park - Definately would not advise a tourist to go after dark. If you are familliar with the region, be careful, if not, don't go.

Feel free to explore at night around deep ellum and greenville avenue during operating hours (until 2am). With this said, keep aware, if it is after hours, drive through Whataburger and go home, after hours clubs are not a must see. Be careful especially going to and from your vehicle. Parking lots are normally monitored but not after two am.

Don't listen to the blanket "stay out of east dallas/oak cliff/ south dallas" speal or you will miss most of what there is to see here and leave thinking that dallas is just starbucks in the pre-fab so-called "west village" and chain spaghetti restaurants in the "west end". The fact is that there are some areas that have bad reps among suburbanites who never go to Dallas, let alone live there, etc. that have interesting parts well worth checking out and that hold the character of the city, some areas that don't have bad reps that are at least as bad if not worse, and some pretty bad areas where you might not expect to find them. Note, there are organized tours of both East and South dallas, which are worthwhile if you are interested in the city.

1)Old East Dallas- Watch yourself in the Columbia to East Grand region, Fitzhugh around Live Oak and Ross, Live oak /Gaston south of Munger , the bottom end of greenville, and the area just north-east of downtown and south of Washington. That said some areas of East Dallas are nice and worth visiting. It is one of the more eclectic areas of Dallas and mostly the worst that you will contend with are potholes (there is a historical reason why the city won't spend anything on the streets there). You will go through this part of town if are visiting the Dallas Arboretum, Lakewood, or WhiteRock Lake or possibly lower greenville from central dallas, or any of the points of interest in East Dallas itself. East Dallas is a patchwork, so just be aware of what kind of neighborhood you are in. Some parts best not lingered in, especially at night.

2) The North side of Downtown is relatively tranquil. The south side of downtown is a bit edgier and crime is more present. Not a reason to avoid, as some things are there (farmers market, old city park, some interesting buildings, majestic theatre, etc), but be aware. Don't leave anything you like in your car. Don't avoid, but be aware.

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7) South Dallas: Once again an older part of town with parts that are worth a look (I'll leave the guiding to the guide tips), but know where you are going and don't wander around aimlessly, because parts of the area are true crack house country. Probably has the worst reputation in the city, deservedly or not (and probably a perception contributed to by racism, as it is predominantly african american).

8) Lower Greenville area - North of Old East Dallas, prime dallas dining and nightlife- but there is sporadic crime in the area so keep an eye out and park sensibly. Note also that there is a local residents association for the residential neighborhood surrounding lower greeville that dislikes nightlife traffic. Particularly be warned that there is a certain character who takes pictures of those who urinate on lawns en route back to their cars and posts them on his web site.

9) Deep Ellum/Exposition - supposedly dallas' hippest nightlife/loft/arts district, but mostly commercialized/yuppified/popularized now. Go, have fun, but watch yourself, as it is also far from crime free. Best to park in a lot and definitely not to the south. You don't have to go too far south to find yourself in one of the worst parts of South Dallas. Leave with the crowd.

10) Galleria-
Avoid at all costs. Exists solely to keep the suburban hordes from overrunning dallas. dallasites (from in town) wouldn't be caught dead there. In fact, there isn't much reason to find yourself north of northwest highway (many would say mockingbird), as everthing beyond that point is pretty much just vapid featureless sprawl. A quick drive past the mansions along Preston in north dallas might be justifiable for a first time visitor who has never seen a mansion before, I suppose, but there is certainly no reason to go north of Forest (much less 635).

Note also that the Dallas PD posts their weekly crime briefing maps on their web site. It is very easy to see from these where the crime hot spots are. Just pull up the central division crimes map.

3) North East Dallas: Vickery meadows, around greenville north of Northwest Highway, is very sketchy, as is the general area around Skillman and 635 and Spring Valley between Coit , 635 and 75. If you are in North Dallas, better to stay west of 75. No reason to be over there in any case- mostly slummy suburbs. Best avoided

4) Parts of West Dallas are sketchy, especially around Singleton/Westmoreland (projects) and, in the north west, Web chapel north of Northwest Highway and the surrounding area. Once again, not much reason to go there. Best avoided.

5) The area along/just off to the west of Oak Lawn is deceptively crime prone. It is one of Dallas' neater, cooler and trendier neighborhoods, with some good restaurants, clubs etc. as well as being home to the center of the gay community, and it doesn't have a bad rep, but watch your back and your stuff along Lemon/Cedar Springs, etc. Enjoy, but be aware.

6) Oak Cliff has both some of Dallas' nicest and worst areas. It runs from dillapidated ghetto to festive ethnic high street to gorgeous limestone suburban houses, to trendy shopping/cafe district, and there are places worth going here. Once again, just be aware of where you are and use good judgement. Some parts best avoided and especially night.

ctd...

DONT TRAVEL TO SOUTH DALLAS, OR YOU MIGHT GET SHOT UP BY CRIPS AND BLOODS.BELIVE ME.. SOUTH DALLAS IS ALL GANGSTERS AND DRUG DEALERS SO WATCH FOR THEM TOO. THEY WILL PUT 5 CAPS IN YOUR ASS. AND WONT WONT GIVE A DAMM ABOUT IT. DONT EVEN DRIVE DOWN HERE OR YOUR CAR MIGHT BE CAR jacked too and it happens all the time down there.

I had to work a case once here as a private investigator. Believe me when I tell you....

JUST PLAIN DON'T. PERIOD. END OF DISCUSSION.

Avoid this area at all costs.

If you drive on Interstate 20 and you see a sign for "Camp Wisdom Road," you are there. Just keep driving.

?Be warned: Public Intoxication in Dallas!

The night before the Oklahoma vs Texas game (Friday Night) some friends and I were out at lower greenville in Dallas. We got there at like 10:30pm and by 11:00 pm the cops had charged us with P.I. (Public Intoxication). Why you ask? Well strangely enough my friend moved an orange cone (a so called police barracade). They (the DPD) began to pepper spray him and slam his face into the ground. I went over and asked for their badge numbers and I got arrested and fined for being a Pedestrian in the street. Then they charged me with P.I. I had 2 beers hardly enough to even blow a .04 which is half of the legal limit .08! The problem is when you are not driving there is not a breathalizer or even any sobriety tests that are administered. The whole thing is based on police discretion. So it is the cops word vs your word and guess who the judge will believe. Well I am going to fight it, hire a lawyer, contact the Newspapers, City Hall, Intenral Affairs, and any civil rights lawyer who wants to fight the unjust giant called called the Dallas Police Department.

UPDATE: The false case against me was dropped! The DPD is known to trump up false charges and if you get roughed up by these civil servants fight them in court!!!

This cowardly person created a new profile to leave a comment. Apparently they were affraid to use their real profile. Its a well known fact the DPD are corrupt and they abuse what tiny power they have. So this persons comment as shown below is foolishly ignorant. No doubt a guilty police officer with a guilty conscience for the false charges they trump up!!!

ftworthfox Thu Nov 17, 2005 15:42 CST
you might want to "higher" an English teacher rather than a lawyer of contacting "intenral" affairs. Sounds like just another snot nosed kid who couldn't hold his beer or his mouth and ran into a little Texas no BS police work.

North, Northwest, and Northeast Dallas

Once upon a time back in the 1980's North, Northwest, and Northeast Dallas were all great, safe, places to live and work. Even before the 1980's the zoning policies of Dallas city and Dallas county had begun to take their toll. Mass building of low-quality, low-priced apartments soon overwhelmed the tranquil neighborhoods. Today, most of Dallas has become a crime invested ghetto. The schools suck. Major corporations have all moved their offices north to Collin and Denton Counties. You can obtain drugs, prostitutes, and be a crime victim anywhere in Dallas.

Other Local Ghettos

The Northwest Highway Haunted House: This dung infested pavement stretches east to west across I-75. At both the eastern and western ends you will find that the city erected more ghetto dwellings. Same problems with My Ghetto. Additional problems...Harry Hines Boulevard - roving bands of prostitutes can be seen traversing the many seedy streets branching of HHB - the police don't do anything about it - it was like that in the 1970's when I was in high school.

The I30 Gin Mill

If you are brave or lost you may find yourself on Interstate Highway I30. It travels east to west through the heart of downtown Dallas and on to Arlington and Fort Worthless. The problems begin in the Mesquite, Texas ghetto coming from the east. From Mesquite to Arlington is a wasteland of marginal housing, street beggars, donks, roaming homeless people, and scenes befitting a low-budget horror movie. The whole place sucks. Stop for gas and a player will ask you for money. The greatest attraction is the span of I30 by Fair Park where the Cotton Bowl and State Fair are held each year. This is a stretch of liquor stores, delapidated housing, prostitutes, drug dealers, and wandering zombies. The real estate values in East Dallas are only marginally better than the values in Hell (West Dallas). You can get mugged or have your vehicle stolen here in broad day light.

All City Planners use drugs and are insane

Dallas County has several neighboring counties: Denton to the Northeast, Collin to the North, Tarrant to the West. Tarrant County is pretty much as bad as Dallas County but Collin and Denton Counties are on the path to civilization. Collin County keeps ghetto-people out by keeping taxes higher and paying public school teachers more money than in Dallas County. Collin County must be offering nice tax incentives to corporations because there are tons of them there. What does Dallas offer? Bad zoning policies that group $300,000 homes, HUD apartments, schools, liquor stores, and decaying neighborhoods together. As people with money consistently choose Collin County as a place to live Dallas will become a magnet for the noneconomically viable thus attracting more bums, criminals, illicit drugs, violent crimes, property value decrements, insurance increases, and a cultural shift toward liberalism. How can elected officials undermine the rights of property owners by allowing ghettos to form? If other local governments throughout our planet can engineer high quality civilization then what is wrong the idiots managing Dallas County and most of the cities in Dallas County?

The DART Rail\Bus System: Mobility for Hookers, Thugs, and Bums

Prostitutes from the east, south, and west portions of Dallas will board the rail\bus system and pander themselves in areas close to a rail hub or bus stop. Hookers will travel in pairs for safety and use their cell phone cameras to capture photos of potential Johns and relay their status back to their pimp dispatch department. The use of technology by the modern whore has actually enabled them to penetrate further into civlized portions of the city than they have in the past. The negative aspect of hooking in Dallas is that it is easy to spot them and therefore easy to target them for expulsion.

Thugs will use the DART system as a means to hunt robbery or auto-theft targets. They can appear in a good part of town and melt into the shadows of alleys, apartments, and residential streets quickly. Smash and grab tactics are usually employed against crimes of opportunity. Punks like this are difficult to spot as they appear much like the people who belong in whatever neighborhood they are invading.

Bums use the DART system to relocate after they are discovered bumming in one area of the city. If they committed a crime, were ejected by property owners, or harrassed enough by the cops in one area then they will alter their venue to allow things to cool down. The best way to keep them out is to never give them any money or assistance while they are in your neighborhood.

A Few Good Things About Dallas

The conservatives here in Dallas don't like big government tax bills so the number of police in Dallas County is horribly low given the number of knuckle-dragging street apes roaming around. The cops are pretty much at 100% utilization of their time and other resources so they generally only concentrate on making busts that increase violent crime statistics. They can qualify for Fedearl and State aid if they can demonstrate a higher prevalence for certain types of crimes. This means that the cops don't have any time, resources, or motivation to interfere with vigilante activity.

Dallas is probably one of the best cities in the US for hunting thugs, gangsters, whores, gang members, punks, and lower-order genetic-filth people. It's as if the local area government wants private citizens to engage in activities that make Dallas an inhospitable environment for criminals. Low-life ghetto residents and unprofessional criminals are highly reluctant to call the cops if they or their property gets wacked. If you are on probation or parole, have felonies on your record, or have warrants out for your arrest, how motivated would you be to talk to a cop?

Destroying some players hooptie often enough that he can't afford repairs is a great motivator for convincing him to relocate.

Trolling the ghetto parts of town on a Friday or Saturdat night is usually a great way to find some idiots openly smoking dope in their car at a stop light, then tailing them while you report it to police dispatch. You could even drop off a box of screws in the street to make sure the undesirables get flat tires.

You can stakeout some of the Men's Club strip bars on Northwest highway to select that one special dumbass who gets behind the wheel of his car when obviously inhebriated. Again, tail him and call 911.

Several ghetto apartment complexes have been driven out of business due to the property damage inflicted by homeowners living in the shadow of the hood.

A plus for the vigilante is that whores won't call the cops to report anything while they are on the job (especially if they have prior arrests for prositution).

You could easily pull a Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson) in this city by making yourself a target for robbers then suprising them by pulling out a couple of pistols and perforating them thoroughly.

Pepper spray or a can of Wasp and Hornet Killer are always good items to carry if you have to be near a DART station , a shopping mall, or go downtown.

Headshops, pool halls, and liquor stores can be eradicated from your neighborhood if the insurance rates on the propety occupied go sky high. The landlord will soon learn that it is unprofitable to lease to certain types of businesses.

If you observe a ghetto-animal it doesn't take too much effort to follow it and find where its nest is located.

If you like biking\cycling please remember that a chain with a padlock at the end of it makes a great tool for self-defense.

If you are a firearm enthusiast note that you can load a revolver pistol cartride with BBs or shotgun pellets and blast anything you want without leaving a balistic signature. You can even purchase pistols that accept a 410 shotgun shell.

Don't feed the animals. Anytime some bum approaches you to beg for money you should beat him to the punch and ask him if he has a couple of dollars he can spare for you before he utters one syllable. He will not only walk away, he will never approach you again.

When driving in Dallas it is advisable to carry a stun gun, mace, pepper spray, or Wasp and Hornet killer, a fixed blade knife, a folding knife, two pair of hand cuffs, a camera, a sound recording device, pistol(s), a pellet\BB gun, some rope, a mask, and a phone. Never leave any of these things visible from outside your vehicle.

When in your home you should have a loaded pistol within arms reach of you at all times. It is also a good idea to sleep with a hatchet, machete, giant survival knife, hammer, chain, baseball bat, or other such close defense tool tucket between your mattress or under your pillow. In addition to a couple of pistols you should have a shotgun, carbine, or assault rifle loaded but hidden from easy site somewhere in your house just in case of riots, home invasion robberies, or natural disaster (think Hurricane Katrina and the mess in New Ghetto Orleans, LA).

Cleaning Up All Major Cities in the USA

If you are from civilization and have never seen a demilitarized zone like Dallas then you should wonder how a city allows itself to deteriorate into a nightmare of decadence and decay.

The only way to fix the system is to drive out the elements that are causing all the problems.

Crack houses are flamable.

Jacking up property values and property taxes will force street apes to relocate.

When criminals become the victims of crime they won't hang around for very long.

You can get a cash award from the state if you turn in a drug dealer.

Never operate a business in or near a ghetto.

Western Park in Southwest Oak Cliff is TRUELY the wrong side of the tracks. It is across some railroad tracks that rarely run, but is very loud. Every block has a gang, like the 4000 blocks for example. Their name is the 4000 Blokk O.Gs. It is the 2nd worst area in Dallas. It is predominantly Latino. Stay out of South Dallas, also. It is a predominantly African-American neighborhood, and is the worst place in Dallas. West Dallas, also, it is 3rd on the list. Highland Park isn't dangerous but, the police harass and use foul language towards minorities. A very racist area.