DPD Chief Rolls Out Plan Aimed to Restore Community Trust. Chief Eddie García briefed the city’s public safety committee yesterday about a new “early warning system” that will evaluate police officers by monitoring their behavior and performance and comparing their records with officer peers. The chief said the goal of the program is to intervene early with officers who may need additional supervision and training.
Atatiana Jefferson’s Uncle Sues Fort Worth Over Police Shooting. Jefferson’s uncle filed a lawsuit against the city of Fort Worth two years to the day that Atatiana Jefferson was shot and killed by Fort Worth police officer Aaron Dean, who entered Jefferson’s home unannounced as she was playing video games with her 8-year-old nephew. Dean’s murder trial was was delayed because of the pandemic and is now scheduled to start in November.
Dallas County Reports 15 COVID Deaths in Weekend Totals. Seven of the victims were younger than 60, including a man in his 30s who did not have underlying conditions. The good news is new cases and hospitalizations continue to decrease, and forecasters at UT Southwestern Medical Center expect that trend to continue.
Dallas Fire Stations Are Missing Calls. More IT issues at city hall: An automated alert system the city has been using since 2005 isn’t sending messages to stations, and fire officials say the entire thing needs to be scraped and replaced. There have been many instances of fire stations not receiving emergency calls because of the outdated system. On one occasion, firefighters reporting to an apartment complex fire had to call the station closest to the blaze after they drove by and noticed the truck still in the garage. The alert system is so old it doesn’t even work with Windows 7, which is the operating system many city computers are still running. And we wonder why people have lost faith in government.
Dallas “Frack Master” Convicted of Fraud. Christopher A. Faulkner, a supposed oil and gas expert, built a career off of high-profile TV and conference appearances. He was convicted in federal court for lying about his experience and using fake college degrees to bilk investors out of millions of dollars that he used to fund a lavish, globetrotting lifestyle. Faulkner now faces 15 years in prison time and must pay a hefty $92.4 million in restitution.
