Dallas Crime Down

Craig Civale reports

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DALLAS — It's been decades since Dallas could tout crime numbers this low.

The city's crime rate has dropped 17.5 percent this year and the rate of business burglaries plunged 36.6 percent.

From April 2008 through last month, there were 800 fewer business break-ins, police said. You'd have to wade through decades of statistics to find a comparable lull in criminal activity.

"Last year was the best per-capita crime numbers that we've had since the mid-1960s," said Dallas police Chief David Kunkle.

Police credit the new scrap metal ordinance for driving crime down; it makes it harder for someone to collect cash for precious metals. The Mendoza Tires business has been the victim of a half-dozen burglaries in recent years. Jorge Mendoza has had to replace windows, garage doors and plenty of tools. But so far, 2009 has been virtually crime-free. "These past few months, it's been a little quiet," Mendoza said. Police said other crime figures are also showing positive trends in the first four months of 2009:

• Residential burglaries: Down 11.5 percent

• Murders: Down 18.6 percent

• Robberies: Down 24.8 percent

• Auto theft: Down 25.1 percent

E-mail ccivale@wfaa.com