Dallas and Ft Worth have the same continuing issue of illegal or random gunfire in its cities – but each cities' police departments are taking different approaches on how to address it.
Random gunfire in Dallas
According to a random gunfire update at a Public Safety committee meeting on Feb. 9., there’s been a decrease in random gunfire calls over the past four years. Since 2022, Dallas police received 57,514 calls related to the gunfire; just last year there were 12, 762 calls.
In that same meeting councilman Jaime Resendez, who represents District 5, said gunfire at parks is a major issue, noting that he receives many calls about it in his district.
“The unfortunate reality, especially in District 5, is that we have a lot of parks that attract illegal gunfire, they’re actually shooting ranges,” Resendez said. “We’re looking at not just handguns, but assault rifles and automatic weapons being used.”
Dallas police plan to use drone technology, cameras, and license plate readers to gather information faster than an officer can arrive on scene. DPD wants to increase its response time to gunfire calls from between about 30 seconds to two minutes. Dallas Police chief Daniel Comeaux also said in the same meeting that the punishment for random gunfire should be higher than a $4,000 fine or a one year jail sentence.
This awareness about the issue has been ongoing following a recent random or celebratory gunfire incident in which two men were arrested for allegedly firing about 100 rounds on the Margaret McDermott Bridge on New Year’s Eve on Dec. 31, 2025.
What is Ft Worth doing?
On Tuesday, the Fort Worth Police Department presented to the city council that they plan to launch a citywide campaign focused on community outreach. It would involve spreading awareness through social media, newsletters, door hangers, and even student and parent outreach at schools. According to the presentation, the city saw a 28% increase in arrests related to illegal gunfire from 2024 to 2025.
“We truly want to convey that we as a police department and as a city, take this seriously,” said police chief Eddie Garcia.” “We do not see this as celebratory, we see it as a potential and/or violent crime.”
Part of the city’s key messaging includes awareness and education, consequences and the campaign’s purpose, and prevention of illegal gunfire, along with ways people can help keep their communities safe.
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