Evacuees Blamed For Increase in Dallas Crime

Dallas—An influx of hurricane evacuees is being blamed for a crime increase in northeast Dallas.

It’s a problem Dallas police thought it had solved.

A year ago this week the police department was raving about the success of ‘Operation Kitchen Sink’, which reduced crime in the city after a string of drug related crimes and murders.

It appears that success was fleet and police say hurricane evacuees may be the reason.

Asif Kahn was working the register at ‘Doc’s Food Store’ on Abrams, just two days after being pepper sprayed by two armed robbers.

“They put a lot of spray on my eyes. And they laid down me over there. They tried to open the mouth. They put the spray in my mouth too. They almost tried to kill me that time,” Kahn said.

The 24-year-old clerk doesn’t need to see statistics to know that crime is on the increase around his neighborhood.

Police attribute the 30% increase in northeast Dallas robberies to the relocation of hurricane evacuees.

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