THERE BE
“
There is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”
— AMANDA GORMAN, AMERICAN POET
MISSION & VISION
Act exists to make neighborhood safety a normal reality for everyone.
To do this, we equip residents to fight crime on their street using the civil justice system.
ACT’S MODEL
Act’s unique model leverages existing civil laws to represent residents living near crime-ridden properties, taking legal action against property owners who allow crime to run rampant in the neighborhood. Empowering those closest to the problem — the residents themselves — results in a sustainable eradication of crime and violence.
STEP 1 — BUILD
We build relationships with local police and residents who live near drug houses. Our community advocates — boots-on-the-ground caseworkers — spend time in the communities we serve getting to know local police officers and impacted residents, gathering intelligence to explore a potential case, and educating residents on our model.
STEP 2 — COLLABORATE
We collaborate with other concerned neighbors, city leaders, police and code compliance, local nonprofits, and churches to gather public records, gain a holistic view of the problem property and its history, and coordinate on related properties. This group of diverse stakeholders shows residents they have a support system — that they are not alone in this fight for their right to live in safety — and helps our in-house attorneys build a case.
STEP 3 — ADVOCATE
Residents make the brave choice to stand up to the crime and violence and sign on as Act clients. Our legal teams — made up of in-house attorneys and top-tier law firms serving as pro bono co-counsel — represent our clients’ wishes to hold property owners accountable for the crime.
Act aims for all cases to be resolved through negotiation or settlement, but we will see a case through to trial, if necessary, where we have a 100% success rate. In many cases, this is the first time our clients have seen the legal system work FOR them.
At first, I didn’t know I was hit…. then someone saw little drops of blood.” “
Mrs. C, a heroic elder of South Dallas, has been fighting for her community for decades. Once a sanctuary for children playing soccer and hopscotch, the picturesque neighborhood of her youth began to deteriorate gradually over time. Her scars tell the story of the sacrifices she’s made just to stay in her home: two cracked ribs and a punctured lung inflicted by a stray bullet, reminders of a day twenty years ago when a drug deal on her street went bad. Forced into early retirement due to her injuries, Mrs. C, instead of backing down, became a courageous advocate for her community. She and her neighbors formed a neighborhood association and began making reports to the police whenever they witnessed illegal activities. It was risky and dangerous. Mrs. C did it anyway.
Mrs. C isn’t the only one who knows what it’s like to live in the shadow of such overwhelming forces that seem impossible to escape. Mr. J remembers being startled awake one night by the sound of bullets ripping through his home. Now he is terrified to even look out the window, much less walk outside or invite friends and family over. Mr. J feels like a prisoner in his own home.
Mr. L has witnessed the deaths of four people in four years on his street. A high school football star was shot during a drug-related altercation. A woman was badly beaten and then died in the hospital due to her injuries. Territorial dogs are let loose to roam and stand guard while their owners deal drugs. Residents like Mr. L are exhausted from years of living in a state of constant vigilance and fear.
The truth is, our neighbors are fighting for the future of their communities. They are fighting to be a light for their fellow residents, even as the surrounding darkness threatens to swallow them. We continue to stand with these courageous residents in their ongoing struggle to take back their streets and to meet darkness and despair with light and justice. Mrs. C often refers to scripture, citing Mark 12:31, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself,” as her motivation for pursuing the safety and well-being of her neighbors and neighborhood.
“For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness,” Psalm 18:28. God calls us to be a light to the world around us. Thank you for being a light and supporting neighbors like Mrs. C, Mr. J, and Mr. L to amplify their lights.
Over the last three years, a total of 7,372 people were directly impacted by the 52 resolutions made from 2020-2022.
1,046 RESIDENT VISITS
48 CLIENTS ENGAGED
133 VISITS WITH GOV'T / CITY OFFICIALS
33 ADVOCACY MEETINGS
19 PROPERTY RESOLUTIONS
40 TOTAL CASES WORKED
PARTNERS
Anonymous
Patricia M. Adams
Agape North Foundation, Inc.
Agent Design, LLC
Sheetal Agrawal
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP
Akin Gump Charitable Relief Fund
Albertsons Safeway
Rachel Aldous
Mark Alexander
Alice E. and Joseph C. Blewett Foundation
All Saints Church Dallas
Jessica Allert
Amazing Grace Life
American National Bank of Texas
Katie and Kevin Anding
Lois and Tari Annan
Anonymous Fund at The Dallas Foundation
Anonymous Fund at the North Texas Community Foundation
Kelly and Joe Armes
Carrie and Clay Arnold
Baker Botts, LLP
Hilary Barnett
Meredith and Kyle Bebee
Kari and Josh Beets
Gwendolyn Bennett
Patricia Bermudez
Christy Berry
Bessemer Trust
Shawna and Reid Beucler
Ashley and Travis Blakeslee
Linda Blase
Alice E. and Joseph C. Blewett Foundation
Pat and Jane Bolin Family Foundation — WFACF
Maryjane and Chris Bonfield
Debbie and Justin Bono
Elaine and Matt Boomer
Rayella Boyd
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, LLP
Nancy and Philip Braner
Julie and Scott Breedlove
Becca Brewbaker
Catherine and Travis Brewer
Robbie and Nancy Briggs Donor Fund
Brown Fox, PLLC
Daniel Brown
Melville Brown
Nancy P. Brown
Renée and Russ Brown
Rosalyn and Daniel Brown
Suzanne Brown
Valerie and Zach Bruchmiller
Faith and Matt Brugner
Kate and Brack Bryant
The Stacy and Tyler Burke Fund
Brooke Burns
Meredith Burns
Jackson Bush
Morgan and Will Bywaters
Shannon Cagnina
Gayle and Jim Caldwell
CJ Camerato
Cantey Hanger, LLP
Dabney Carlson
Carpenter Family Foundation
Susanna and Alan Carrillo
Shannon and Jonah Cave
Barbara and Ben Cervin
Alexander Clark
Act’s model is collaborative to its core. We could not play our role in making neighborhood safety a normal reality for everyone without these incredible partners and the many nonprofit organizations we serve alongside in this mission to love our neighbors. We are grateful for each and every partnership.
Coats Homes
Colleyville Presbyterian Church
Debby and Hugh Comer
Communities Foundation of Texas
Community Outreach Missionary Baptist Church
Compatriot Capital, Inc.
Natalie and Jeffrey Condit
Sheila and Gary Cook
Elizabeth Cooksey
Cornerstone Crossroads Academy
Stuart Cornett
Coby Cotton
Carolina and Justin Cotton
Cox, PLLC
Amy and James Crain
Carol and Daniel Crain
Claire Crain
Laura and Kelly Crain
Felice and Dow Crocker
Anne and King Crow
Katie and Peter Crow
Erin and Christopher Crum
Becky and Christian Cullum Fund
Caitlin Curry
Lawrence B. Dale Family Foundation
Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Foundation
Dallas Bar Foundation
Dallas City Attorney’s Office
Dallas City Council
Dallas City Manager’s Office
Dallas Code Compliance Department
Dallas Fire-Rescue Department
Dallas Police Department
Lee Ellen and Thad Darden
The David M. Crowley Foundation
Marissa and Guy Delcambre
Denman Family Foundation
Courtney and David Diamond
DLA Piper, LLP
Melody and Bob Dockery
Kameron Dodge
Allison and Ben Doherty
Genny and Mike Doramus
Amy and Craig Dunlap
Michelle and George Dunlap
The Dunlap Family Fund
Emily and Clay Eber
Stacey and Paul Eber
Jeffrey S. Ellerman
Enmark Services, Inc.
Sarah Evans
Eventide Asset Management, LLC
Sue and Britt Fair
Ellen and Spencer Falls
Aaron Farmer
Fee, Smith & Sharp, LLP
Jaime and Derek Ferem
The Knox and K.B. Fitzpatrick Giving Fund
Ellen and Paul Flowers
Fort Worth Code Compliance Department
Fort Worth Fire-Rescue Department
Fort Worth Police Department
Elena Frattaroli
The Bayard and Becky Friedman Fund
Stacey and Dan French
Gail and Andrew Frohman
Mark J. Fulmer
Marsella and Tim Fults
Megan and Christopher Gaines
Sarah and Dean Galaro
Vonni Gant
Christy and Mark Gehlbach
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP
Josh Ginsborg
Give Clean Co.
Katie and John Golden
Golden Gate Missionary Baptist Church
Bette and Stephen Goldmann
Jill and Gregory Gordon
Chynna and Daniel Goree
Kimberly and Aaron Graft
Pamela Graham
Hilary and Jace Graham
Shannon Graham
Kyle Graves
Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Stephanie and Steve Greenwell
Anna and Thomas Gresham
Jackie and Gary Griffith
Betsy and Lee Halford
Gregory Hall
Amanda and Rhodes Hamilton
Janie and Patrick Hamner
Mark Hand
Harbour Family Fund
Susie and T. Hardie
Seth Hare
Beth B. and Benjamin P. Harper
Cindy and David Harper
Kimber and Michael Hartmann
Havencrest Capital Management
Hawn Foundation
Haynes and Boone, LLP
Gail and Robert Heinonen
Jeanne Hendricks
Kate and Hunter Henry Philanthropy Fund — Malachi 3:10
Evangeline and Rob Heppenstall
Highland Park Presbyterian Church
Kristen and Sterling Hillman
Mary Joy and Richard Hinton
Susan and Mason Hogan
Ashley and John Holm
Kelsey and Michael Holmes
Chris Honeycutt
Amy and Scott Houdek
Carol and Bill Huckin
Jean and Ken Huddleston
Abby and Steve White
Elizabeth and Taylor Hunt
Nelson and Brittany Hunt
Hunt Consolidated, Inc.
Carli and Benton Hyatt
Sebastian Iannariello
Inter-Faith Group (IFG)
Ashley and Brooks Igo
Iles Family Charitable Fund at The North Texas Community Foundation
Margaret and Bob Innamorati
Kathy and John Jackson
The James Family Charitable Fund
Ashley and Joseph Januszewski
Debbie and Bruce Jenevein
Wayne Johnson
Peggy Johnston
Becky and Arthur Jones
Claudia and Philip Jones
Elisabeth and Austin Jordan
Joy Fund
Kelly Hart & Hallman, LLP
David Kelton
Kenzie and Case Killgore
Chnequa Kirby Harrison
Adam Koch
Leslie Kramer
Blake Krause
Caroline Krause
Theodore Kwong
Jeffrey LaFayette
Elizabeth Lake
Langley Family Foundation
Bryan Larson
Meredith and Taylor Levesque
Jennifer Lewis
Chamlee and Campbell Lewis
Anne Lindley
Lucy Anne Link
Chelsea Linsira
Locke Lord, LLP
Mackenzie Luce
Lupe Murchison Foundation
Sally and Ron Lutz
Lynn Pinker Hurst & Schwegmann, LLP
Valerie Maniscalco
March Family Charitable Fund
Markel Corporation
Marsh & McLennan Agency, LLC
Lila and Schuyler Marshall
David Martin
Roxanna Martinez
Mary Potishman Lard Trust
Angela and Charlie Matter
Laura and Tommy McBride
Frank McClain
Aimée and Mark McClanahan
Jill and Bill McClung
Charleen and Robert McCulloch
Katie and Scott McFadin
McKissack Family Fund
Andrew McKnight
Lou McMillan
Efua Mensah-Brown
Merrick Family Foundation
Rebecca and Steve Meyer
Jessica Mickish
Brandt Miller
David B. Miller
Katherine Moffitt
Katie and Grant Moise
Allison and Sean Moore
The Moozie Foundation
Morning Star Family Foundation
Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church
Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C.
Katie and Austin Musselman
New Heaven Church
Betsy and Cary Newman
Andrew Newsom
Carolyne and Stephen Nielson
Denise and Ray Nixon Jr.
Christopher Norris
Ashley O'Neill
O’Melveny & Meyers, LLP
Lesley Ooley
Scott Ortiz
Sarah and Greer Oxford
Kenzie and Tyler Pace
Park Cities Baptist Church
Park Cities Presbyterian Church
The Pellafone Family Dinosaur Adventure Fund
Aimee Blanchard and Ricardo Pellafone
Sherry Perry
Elizabeth and Preston Phillips
Kelsey and Chandler Phillips
Jacky and Peter Pincoffs
Kara and Benjamin Pinkerton
Danielle and Chase Pinkston
Cheryl Pipkins-McCallister
Stephanie and Jim Porter
Ellen and Reid Porter
Izola and Thomas Porter
Karen and Robin Pou
Michal and Lloyd Powell Family
Prairie Creek Partners
Charitable Foundation
Lisa Prather
Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church
Keith Price
Meredith Quigley
Laura Quinones
Hanna and Benjamin Ratliff
The Rees-Jones Foundation
Seth Reich
Gay and Randy Rekerdres
Rekerdres Charitable Fund
Micah and Curtis Riddle
Courtney Rimann
Josie Ripley
Rising Phoenix Real Estate
Kearby Rives
Annie Roberson
John David Roberts
Kristen and Whit Roberts
Emily Robinson
Jasmine Robinson
Krista and Richard Rogers
Stephen J. Rogers
Lisa and Dennis Roossien
Dylan Ross
Rowling Foundation
Beth Salas
Salem Institutional Baptist Church
Olivia Sanden
Richard Sayles
Kim and Rob Sayles
Bailey and Paul Schaufele
Scheffler Charitable Fund
Cynthia and Grant Schmidt
Gail Schoellkopf
John and Page Schreck Family Charitable Fund
Marisa and Todd Schroeder
Jenny and Joel Schubert
Tori and Nathan Schubert
Julia and Blake Schwarz
Debbie and Ric Scripps
Ryan Scripps
Susan and David Scullin
Aryn and Scott Self
Caleb Semmes
Sendero
Amy and John Shackelford
Rachelle Shane
Priscilla and Steve Shellenberger
Kristin and Keith Shepelwich
Kent Sholars
Janna and Matthew Shuford
Margery E. and Richard M. Skorburg
Seth Slover
Allison and Collin Smith
David Smith
Meg & Wyatt Smith Charitable Fund
Steven Solomon
Ray and Miriam Sperring Giving Fund
Spicewood Mineral Management, LLC
Heather and Clif Squibb
St. Jude Oak Cliff
St. Philip's School and Community Center
Stand Together Foundation
State Fair of Texas
Staubach Capital
Diane and Dick Steele
Frank Stevenson
Bettie and Mark Story
Ruth and Rick Story
Stream Realty Partners, LP
Lynn and Jim Stroud
Kathryn Sullivan
Caitlin Summers
Camille Swanson
Claire and Tobin Swope
Ann and Jeff Swope
Jamie Tanner
Madeline and Chas Taylor
Rachel and David Taylor
TBK Bank, SSB
Jenna Tenpenny
The Barnabas Faith Foundation
The Hersh Foundation
The Pennington Firm, PC
The Way The Truth and The Life
Christian Church
Texas Leadership Forum
Angela and Bill Thomas
Trisha and Ike Thomas
Cullen Thomason
Andrea Kim and Tim Thomason
Nikki and Don Thomasson
Smitha Thompson
Cait Thorogood
Tiedemann Advisors, LLC
Tolleson Wealth Management
Priya Tomy
Suzy and Doug Toole Jr.
The Torrence Family Fund
Tiffanie Tovar
Kenny and Lisa Troutt Fund
True Lee Missionary Baptist Church
Bonnie Tucker
Lauren and Jonathan Turnbull
Susan and Gregory Turner
Nancy and Jay Turner Family of the Dallas Seminary Foundation
Paul Turney
Lori and Jeff Turpin
May Lynn and David Turtletaub
Sarah and Joe Turtletaub
Courtney Underwood
Emily Utz
Mimi and William Vanderstraaten
Venverloh Family Foundation
Elizabeth and Marshall Viney
W.P. & Bulah Luse Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Co-Trustee
Wayne Walker
Caroline Walker
Walker & Doepfner, PLLC
The Stacey and Reid Walker Family Fund
Scott and Kelly Walker Fund
David W. Wallace Charitable Trust
Christopher Walton
Watermark Community Church
The Weatherford Family Fund
Gayla and Steve Weatherford
Julie and Craig Wenning
Nancy and Neil West
Courtney and Todd Westerburg
Rebecca Whitaker
Scott Whitaker
Tom Williams Fund
Alison Williams
David Williams
Janet Williams
Valerie and Chris Wilmoth
Catherine and Ben Wilson
The Jerry and Susie Wilson Charitable Fund
Winstead, PC
W. Scott Winton
Elizabeth Wirmani
Josh Womack
Ali and Nelson Wood
Wood Family Fund
Kelly and Will Woods
Caroline Woodward
Jeremy Zaluski
Lauren and Chris Zugaro
Zugaro Family Fund
The Center for Justice and Neighborhood Safety exists to study, practice, refine, and share innovative community-based solutions for neighborhood safety and human flourishing, thereby growing social cohesion.
It is our hope to bring Act’s vision, model, and impact to the national market — starting with the DFW area — to steward and share our calling of making neighborhood safety a normal reality for everyone. The Center acts as a “think-tank” and allows for different sectors and individuals to co-learn from one another and will be the mechanism for teaching our work to a national audience as well as writing and speaking about our model.
Recognizing that every city and community has its own ecosystem and unique history, an integral part of The Center’s work is data collection and analysis. We have begun collecting data around the following major categories: demographics, educational outcomes, property values, individual outcomes (including net promoter scores), crime levels and criminal hotspots, and cost savings for city departments and local governments. Since each neighborhood has a unique history, we study the inequities preventing neighborhood flourishing that helps build a more robust context for the current climate of these neighborhoods today.
When we address the place, we address the problem.
As a nation, we have historically viewed criminal activity solely through a law enforcement lens. However, through Act’s work, we are able to advocate for an individual’s private right to safety outside of the criminal justice system. This alternative solution complements the work of law enforcement. We are able to represent our clients’ wishes and pursue change without getting stuck in a loop of pursuing probable cause. We advocate for a resident’s private right to safety through the use of the civil justice system to hold individuals accountable for the activity taking place on their property. Accordingly, we only need evidence that the drug house is a nuisance and interfering with our clients’ use and enjoyment of their property — a wholly different and lesser standard than required in a criminal case.
Our innovative approach is affirmed by the latest in criminology science. According to professor David Weisburd, one of the leading criminologists in the field of place theories, 50% of crime takes place at 5% of properties in a city. Crime “sticks” to these specific “hotspots” because there are particular characteristics about them that make them good drug houses. Addressing those specific spots, the actual house or structure that the police raid over and over again to no avail, is what has proven — both through Act’s 14 years of work and through place-based theories — to actually eradicate crime rather than just pause or dampen it. Once the place is addressed, the activity stops. There is peace. When we address the place, we address the problem.
In 2021, Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia invited Act to join a special task force focused on using place-based approaches to tackle crime. In 2022, Act began planning with Dr. Weisburd to study our approach and impact through a lens of place theories. Dr. Weisburd’s first response to our work included the following, “... your efforts to integrate social cohesion and willingness of residents to get involved (what is often termed ‘collective efficacy’) follow closely my thinking over the last few years. I think an approach that seeks to empower residents to solve problems is key.”
Academics have studied the cause and effect of addressing hotspots of crime, but Act is the only organization we know that is leveraging the civil justice system and engaging the residents in targeting the place, resulting in sustainable change. Not only does place-based criminology science affirm our work, but we are excited to speak into its future.
TIERS OF IMPACT
When you walk out of your home, you are directly impacted by your surroundings — whether you realize it or not.
Many of us are privileged to not feel the weighty impact that thousands of our neighbors do because of the drug houses in their immediate proximity. To get a better understanding of the impact our work is having on our neighbors, we did a deep dive to study the neighborhoods where we have casework to crunch the numbers. We've developed Act’s Tiers of Impact that are weighted proportionally to the proximity of a neighbor’s property to the location of a known drug house.
DIRECT IMPACT — TIER 1
Houses that are within “Line of Sight” of the drug house will suffer Direct Impact (Tier 1) of the drug activity. This includes the properties to the left and right of the drug house, the properties directly across from the drug house, and the plots directly behind the drug house.
EXTENDED IMPACT — TIER 2
Houses on the same street as the drug house will be within the range of the Extended Impact (Tier 2) of the drug house. Act defines a street as one four-way intersection to the other, or a four-way intersection to the termination point of a street.
COMMUNITY IMPACT — TIER 3
Houses within a 0.1 mile radius of the drug house will be the range of the Community Impact (Tier 3). The community impact tier is weighted by 25% to account for any potential overlap caused by drug houses in close proximity.
In evaluating the specific cases we worked in 2020 - 2022, the average number of residents per home is 3.2 people with over 2,300 homes that fall within the Community Impact Tier.
With 52 resolutions between 2020 and 2022, we found that 2,353 homes occupied by 7,372 men, women and children that were once within the shadow of a drug house are now experiencing the light of that shadow lifted and the freedom of safety.
For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”
ACT GROUPS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jim Caldwell – Board Chair
Cary Newman
Reid Porter
Melissa Russell
Lee Torrence
Nick Sensley – Senior Advisor
ADVISORY BOARD
Krista and Richard Rogers* — Chairs
Rev. Todd Atkins
Tracey and Van Beckwith
Rayella Boyd
Russ Brown
Tyler Burke
Cele and John Carpenter
Minnie and Bill Caruth
Dr. Gary Cook
Rev. Mark Davis
Genny and Mike Doramus
Rev. Bryan Dunagan
Debbie and Bill Dunlap
Alan and Randy Engstrom
Linda Evans
Spencer Falls
Garry Grier
Jackie and Gary Griffith
Stephanie Hanson
Susie and T. Hardie
Gayle and Harry Hargrave
David Harper
John Hawkins
Jody Hawn
Bill Hendricks
Bishop Philip Jones
David Kelton
Haley and Ramsey March
Aimée and Mark McClanahan
Robert McCulloch
Ellen and John McStay
Leslie and Nick Merrick
Becky and Steve Meyer
Tom Neuhoff
Denise and Ray Nixon
Chad Pinson
Karen and Robin Pou
Whit Roberts
Brian Robison
Dennis Roossien
Ted Schweinfurth
Debbie and Ric Scripps
Ken Smith
Jeff Swope
Kelly and Scott Walker
Rev. Jeff Warren
Rev. Arrvel Wilson
Lauren and Chris Zugaro
JUSTICE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
Susanna and Alan Carrillo – Chairs
Valerie and Zach Bruchmiller
Kelsey and Michael Holmes
Ashley and Brooks Igo
Theo Kwong
Meredith and Taylor Levesque
David Martin
Sarah and Greer Oxford
Katie Anding
Jenna Tenpenny
Alison Williams
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence actually liberates others.” “
As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
— MARIANNE WILLIAMSON, AMERICAN AUTHOR
STORY OF A STREET
See firsthand the heroes who step up courageously and take action to make their street and our city safer.
MICAH 6:8
2022 AWARDS & ACCOLADES
@AdvocatesForCommunityTransformation linkedin.com/company/actforjustice @act_justice info@actforjustice.org
