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Dallas launches 'Summer of Safety' with expanded youth programming, officials say
Summary
Mayor Johnson and city officials onstage at Gaydon Hill Recreation Center announced the city's fourth annual "Summer of Safety," highlighting free full-day camps from Dallas ISD, expanded parks hours, teen access passes, and police-led youth engagement programs. Officials cited multi-year drops in violent crime and urged families to use dal.city/2025summerofsafety.
Mayor Johnson kicked off the City of Dallas's fourth annual "Summer of Safety" campaign at Gaydon Hill Recreation Center, saying the program will expand free and low-cost opportunities for children and teens across the city and urging residents to use the city website for details.
"If you don't have a safe neighborhood, you don't have a safe city," Mayor Johnson said, framing the initiative as central to the administration's public-safety strategy. The mayor said the city has seen multi-year reductions in violent crime, adding that "violent crime actually has fallen 35% across the entire city; this year alone, murders are down 30% and robberies are down 14%." He described Summer of Safety as a data-driven campaign that promotes free programs provided by multiple city departments and partners and directed residents to dal.city/2025summerofsafety.
Police Chief Daniel Comeau also pledged to sustain and build on the city's crime-reduction efforts, saying he accepts the mayor's charge to continue the progress. "I'm gonna take that challenge," Comeau said, emphasizing department efforts to be "present" and engaged with youth through PAL programs, police-led sports leagues and community activities.
City Manager Kimberly Tobin and Arun Agarwal, president of the Dallas Parks and Recreation Board, highlighted interdepartmental collaboration. Parks and Recreation Director John Jenkins detailed operational steps for the summer: extended recreation-center hours, increased teen programming, the "Teen All Access Pass" for free access to local attractions, and targeted initiatives such as "Beyond the Block," a mentoring and support program aimed at young men ages 12 to 17.
A Dallas ISD official said the school district will offer free, full-day summer camps in June and July with certified educators and transportation provided; families were directed to dallasisd.org under the district's "Extended Learning Opportunities" section. Heather Lowe, interim director of the Dallas Public Library, promoted the Smart Summer reading program and listed library kickoff events at several neighborhood branches; she noted children can earn prizes for participation.
Officials emphasized partnerships with nonprofits and community groups and asked parents, faith leaders and neighbors to help spread information about available programs. The press conference concluded with a brief photo opportunity.
The city framed the initiative as both a public-safety measure and a way to connect young people to mentors and structured activities; officials said they expect the programs to run through June and July and to be widely available across Dallas. Families seeking specifics on sites, schedules and registration were instructed to consult dal.city/2025summerofsafety and Dallas ISD's ELO pages.
