Safety
Having safe residential and commercial neighborhoods is the primary goal of the Lake Highlands Public Improvement District. We believe that living in a safe environment is a universal desire of every parent, every child and every person, no matter where they choose to live.
We are currently focused on establishing a robust crime watch and public safety program. This program must improve personal safety for residents and families living in and close to the Skillman Corridor. We also believe safe retail areas will create desirable business and shopping destinations for potential investors, Lake Highlands residents and visitors.
Utilizing a three-pronged approach to keeping our neighborhoods safe, our activities revolve around:
1. Key partnership and close coordination with the Dallas Police Department and City of Dallas
We have partnered with the Dallas Police Department, the Northeast Community Engagement Unit and the City of Dallas. We share information with the Northeast station, providing crime tips and specific trends to allow them to more effectively target areas within the PID.
Working closely with the City of Dallas Community Prosecution Office and Code Compliance, we address and resolve a multitude of property issues, including nuisance, abatement and general code compliance violations. We believe that working closely with residential and commercial property owners to improve security, lighting, landscaping and code issues positively impacts safety, health, security and property appearance throughout the district.
The PID currently supplements Dallas Police Department services with the Expanded Neighborhood Patrol Program. Staffed with off-duty Dallas police officers, our patrol is specifically devoted to the PID, providing additional crime deterrence and police protection. Property owners interested in learning more about the patrol can contact our director, Vicky Taylor, for more information.
2. Crime reduction education and neighborhood watch programs in both multi-tenant and retail areas
The PID is an active participant in all established crime watch programs offered by the Northeast Station (Volunteers in Patrol, Resident Shield, BAC-NET etc.). The PID also guides our properties and offers assistance as they manage their own crime watch programs.
We have recently formed an exciting new group…the PID Multi-Tenant Property Manager’s Forum. This forum is unique, as it is led by on-site property managers who want to share information and serve as good neighbors to surrounding complexes. Working closely with our Neighborhood Police Officers, we share crime watch tips and successful leasing strategies. We also educate managers on how to report and track crimes within their communities. Close communication among all property managers is the key to strengthening and building our community. Programs currently being planned include a more formalized program for our HOAs, as well as a Business Crime Watch program for our retail areas.
3. Analysis of crime trend data within our district to target best use of tools and resources
As a relatively new district, a key component to our public safety program is identifying crime trends so that we may adjust our tools and programs accordingly. The Lake Highlands PID contains six different police beats and 13 different reporting areas. We currently track all Part I crimes in the district and analyze trends by type of crimes, locations, time of day, days of the week, etc.
Part I Crime includes the following eight categories reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation on a yearly basis: murder, sexual assault, aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, theft, auto theft, and arson.
We share this data with affected properties, agencies, and community leaders to ensure our public safety needs are being met. We also work closely with our properties to educate them on how to retrieve and manage their own crime reporting and statistic products. Properties interested in reviewing their own particular crime data can find information on the Dallas Police Department public access site.
