Lake Highlands: False Security in One of Dallas' Prestigious Neighborhoods

In one of Dallas' most prestigious and quite notorious neighborhoods, the unthinkable has been happening and has been overlooked for some time now. The neighborhood is peacefully named, the "Lake Highland" area. Like most neighborhoods in Dallas, the Lake Highland area is plagued by drugs, violent crime, homelessness, murder, and prostitution.

The "Lake Highland" area is located north of downtown Dallas and also, north of Dallas' White Rock Lake (Dallas' biggest man-made lake). Most residents that reside in this area are of the higher class. Like most neighborhoods in Dallas, the Lake Highland area is home to many middle class and lower class people, even the homeless reside in almost every neighborhood in Dallas as well.

In this reporter's opinion, not one neighborhood is immune to the drugs and violence that seem to plague every single neighborhood in Dallas, Tx. Even in wealthy areas such as "Uptown" has its share of narcotic selling and violent crimes, as well as prostitution.

The most troubling is the fact that all this and more has been happening especially in this area for a very long time, as a resident of this part of town has told this reporter. Local residents, whom wish to remain nameless due to security reasons, did agree to answer a few short questions about what has been happening in their neighborhood.

One Lake Highland resident told me of an incident that just recently happened approximately one weekend before last. He told me of a Caucasian man, whom appeared to be in his thirties, looking extremely suspicious. This man, the resident stated, went from door to door in the neighborhood asking people to donate cash and/or food to a certain well-known charity (a.k.a. the Salvation Army of Dallas).

When the house residents refused to donate such items the man then repeated to them very loudly that "They were going to go to Hell!" After about one hour and several houses later, the Dallas police department finally responded to calls from frantic neighbors complaining about the man that was in their neighborhood. The Dallas police arrested and charged the man with public disruption, disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing.

Another resident told this reporter of an incident that happened only hours before speaking with them. This person reported seeing an African-American woman pushing a baby carriage and staring into people's windows. After seeing this suspicious behavior, this resident quickly notified Dallas police. The police department responded within 40 minutes and confronted the woman whom was "peeping" into residents windows.

The resident told me that the police found a loaded .22 caliber pistol on the said woman and lock picking, as well as burglary equipment, in the baby carriage that the woman was pushing. It is uncertain, to this reporter, of what charges the police charged against the woman. However, due to the experience that I do possess in law enforcement, I would have to say that her charges probably consist of a concealed weapons violation, intent to burglarize a residency and quite possibly criminal trespassing with the intent to thus commit a crime.

There is certainly a "crime wave" that has been plaguing the Lake Highland area and residents are fully aware of it. However, the Northeast Division of the Dallas Police Department is not taking the appropriate and affirmative action needed. The response time of initial disturbance call and when officers due arrive on the scene of the disruption needs to thus be improved as well.

The biggest question that must be on the minds of all the people reading this would have to be, "Where is all of the police presence in Northeast Dallas and where is the Northeast Division police funding going?" Northeast Division Deputy Police Chief, Jan Easterling, refused to comment on any matter concerning this question so the big question shall remain unanswered for now.