Mural by Michael McPheeters near Commerce Street in Deep Ellum. Photo by Renee Umsted.

For our March 2026 issue, the Lakewood/East Dallas Advocate published a long feature on the past, present and future of Deep Ellum. Toward the end of the article, we reported that the Deep Ellum Foundation was working on an updated safety plan sometime in the future. Turns out, we didn’t have to wait long. 

The foundation and City leaders launched the new Deep Ellum Community Safety Plan 2.0, which is building on the 2022 strategy. The previous version led to “three years of significant reduction in crime for the community,” Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Moreno wrote in the new plan’s opening letter.

There was a spike in violence in Deep Ellum last year, which was attributed to “the changing seasons, foot traffic patterns, and area business openings and closings” in the plan. Moreno wrote that the community came together to interrupt the trend in crime by fall. The new plan was made with this context in mind.

“In this Deep Ellum Community Safety Plan 2.0, we share some of the lessons learned of this past year, as well as some of the recent strategies we leveraged to successfully adapt to new challenges,” Moreno wrote. “This report also outlines new strategies associated with emerging trends as Dallas welcomes the World Cup games in 2026.”

Despite a year-over-year reduction in violent crime based on early 2026 data, the plan states that “heightened focus and agility remain urgently needed” as a result of several injury-causing altercations. 

The highest priority is establishing an entertainment permit policy to standardize rules for businesses offering late-night entertainment.

“Throughout Deep Ellum’s recent history, it has taken only one or a few businesses not operating at base safety standards to precipitate spikes in crime that ripple through the community,” the plan states. “Moreover, policy loopholes and lax requirements foster a race to the bottom, incentivizing businesses to do the minimum or cut corners to remain competitive with neighboring establishments that flout the rules. While entertainment districts by their very nature can attract crime, individual businesses can also serve as attractors of crime, exacerbating those existing conditions, if they allow unlawful behavior such as drug abuse, underage drinking or other crimes inside their walls.”

The plan is informed by best practices and community feedback. It includes protocols previously included in 2022, like foot patrols, proactive policing and enforcing minor infractions (such as open alcohol containers, marijuana use, illegal vending and amplified devices), community policing and starting summer operations early. 

Police foot patrols were noted as having a noticeable impact on crime in the report. When they were prevalent in the summers of 2022 and 2023, there was a double-digit drop in violent crime compared to that of 2024 when foot patrols decreased.

“Walking beats were less common in the summer of 2024 and early summer 2025 as on-duty resources were reallocated to specific assignments or temporarily interrupted,” the plan states. “Community members, especially door staff, business owners and general managers, consistently noted this difference in physical presence. They also noted a seemingly related increase in unruly behavior by visitors when the presence of mobile officers was constrained. Quantitatively, 2022 and 2023 were marked by double-digit reductions in violent crime compared to 2024, during which a smaller decrease of 1% was achieved. Similarly, crime statistics and outcomes differed in 2025 after the Dallas Police Department launched its new operation mid-summer. In June through mid-July 2025, Deep Ellum sustained 13 aggravated assaults, including 3 involving injury due to knives or guns compared to mid-July through the end of summer 2025, during which 8 aggravated assaults including no injuries due to knives or guns occurred.”

There are also action items for the City, Dallas Police Department, the foundation, property and business owners as well as visitors and residents. Noise and crisis management and engaging youths are listed as joint efforts between stakeholders.

The City is tasked with enacting an entertainment permit policy, sending appropriate resources to enforcement agencies, directing budgetary and programmatic support for violence interruption initiatives and having limited shifts of the Street Response Team in Deep Ellum for those experiencing homelessness.

For DPD, expanding Deep Ellum’s dedicated police unit, allocating staff for continuity and contingency planning, and leveraging its capabilities, especially special operations, are on the to-do list.

The foundation plans to launch the community engagers pilot program to engage youth and connect them with resources, continue Deep Ellum Safe operations, and expand the “Eyes on Ellum” camera network. The more than 120 cameras were useful in aiding arrests for aggravated assaults with a deadly weapon last year by providing supporting evidence. DPD’s Intelligence Group, off-duty teams and collaborating community members helped to make that possible as well.

“Several (arrests) were made within 24 hours, including some made within mere minutes or just a few hours,” the plan states.

The foundation is also starting to use the “data-analysis tool” Jia Ops “to improve security operations reporting and analysis.” Cooperation and engagement with the City, DPD and the community is also expected.

The plan calls for property and business owners to reinforce parking lot management campaigns, keep expanding lighting improvements, introduce conduct codes and launch networked ID scanning technology. The Deep Ellum Nighttime Advisory Team is expected to provide guidance regarding safety standards for late-night businesses.

And Deep Ellum residents and visitors are asked to stay alert and informed, travel in pairs, watch out for their friends, and speak up if they see something suspicious or wrong. 

For more details, read the full plan here.