Improving Night-time Safety and Vibrancy in Dallas, Texas

A Case Study of the Good Neighbor Initiative

February 2023

Acknowledgments

Safe Night and 24HourDallas would like to sincerely thank Darrin T. Grondel, Senior Vice President of Traffic Safety, and Brandy Nannini, former Senior Vice President of Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (Responsibility.org), as well as Joseph Durso, Senior Director of Public Affairs at Pernod Ricard USA, for their investment in the Good Neighbor Initiative. The City of Dallas and its businesses are benefactors of strong social commitments by these organizations to introduce and implement Safe Night’s innovative and proven nightlife model.

Introduction

During the summer of 2021, Responsibility.org recruited and sponsored Safe Night to bring their nightlife management model, A Safe Night Out, to the City of Dallas, Texas. Responsibility.org selected the Safe Night team based on their years of experience and innovation in managing nightlife and implementing the first voluntary bar accreditation model in the U.S., the Arlington Restaurant Initiative (ARI) in Arlington, Virginia.

Safe Night recommended including 24HourDallas, a nightlife advocacy organization, to oversee a nightlife management model for the City of Dallas businesses. 24HourDallas describes its organization as a non-profit that “encourages collaborations, incubates cultural activity, champions sociable districts, and inspires business development … all to the benefit of Dallas’ night-time economy.” Reponsibility.org then brought corporate partner Pernod Ricard USA onto the project, who agreed to fund 24HourDallas’ costs to operate a bar and restaurant accreditation model created by Safe Night and 24HourDallas

Later in 2021, Safe Night began providing official technical assistance and consultation to 24HourDallas and the City of Dallas. Safe Night’s first recommendation was to create a working group of Dallas City department leaders who would commit to the project and collaborate with 24HourDallas. Safe Night staff then traveled to Dallas to conduct a multiday assessment of nightlife operations in several areas of the city. The goal was to find a location in the city that would most benefit from Safe Night’s nightlife management program and evaluate the city’s current response to nightlife In the spring of 2022, Safe Night released its assessment findings and recommendations to 24HourDallas and the City of Dallas in the City of Dallas Nightlife Assessment and Recommendations Report.

In January 2022, Safe Night collaborated with 24HourDallas to develop the Copper Star Certification's standards, mirrored after the successful ARI program in Arlington, Virginia. 24HourDallas also released the name of their program, the Good Neighbor Initiative (GNI). Later that year, Safe Night delivered a four-day nightlife management training class for all stakeholders, Dallas agency staff, bar and restaurant owners, and community-based organizations. Safe Night’s training introduced Dallas agency staff to new concepts focused on prioritizing prevention over enforcement, collaborative problem-solving, and building individual relationships with the stakeholders.

This case study will discuss the Good Neighbor Initiative and highlight the work needed to implement an innovative and novel nightlife management model in a major U.S. city.

A Safe Night Out - Dallas Nightlife Management Model Timeline 2021 – 2023

Partnership with 24HourDallas

June 2021

Safe Night Assessment of Dallas Agency Nightlife Strategies and Practices

December 2021

Copper Star Certification Model Development

January 2022

Development of Metrics for Evaluation

February 2022

Dallas Assessment and Recommendations Report

April 2022

A Safe Night Out Training for Dallas Agency Staff

April 2022

Dallas Agency Peer to Peer Nightlife Training

September 2022

A Safe Night Out Training for Dallas Agency Staff

February 2023

24HourDallas Self-Evaluation

2023-2024

A Case Study of the Good Neighbor Initiative – Dallas, Texas Ó2023

Dallas Nightlife Assessment & Recommendations

The following is a condensed summary of the findings of the Safe Night assessment and recommendations released in the City of Dallas Nightlife Assessment and Recommendations Report released in April 2022

Safe Night Assessment

Deep Ellum

Deep Ellum is Dallas’ busiest nightlife district, with over a hundred (100) bars, restaurants, and clubs. The most prominent concerns stakeholders reported were:

• Crime and Disorder – Business owners are concerned about alcohol-related violence and shootings.

• Police Operations - The Dallas Police Department does not appear to have defined engagement and responsibilities specifically to manage nightlife beyond traditional police duties.

• Communication - Communication between city agencies and businesses was reported to be largely absent aside from enforcement action.

The West End

The West End has several restaurants and local eateries that attract mostly daytime visitors eating brunch or watching sporting events. Stakeholders reported the following:

• Crime and Disorder – Business owners and the West End Association (WEA) are concerned about drugs, violence, and shootings.

• Police Operations - The WEA expressed a desire for Dallas Police to consistently staff officers willing to develop relationships with business owners in the West End and address crime and disorder collaboratively.

• Communication - WEA conducts weekly and monthly meetings with Dallas Police officers and supervisors to analyze data and identify crimes and issues.

Additional Dallas Nightlife Areas

During the site visit to Dallas, Safe Night staff visited several other areas with notable nightlife, including Uptown, Downtown Dallas, and Thanks-Giving Square. While these areas were not as busy as Deep Ellum, Dallas Police reported the same types of alcohol-related crime and disorder.

Safe Night Recommendations City of Dallas

1. Adopt a Relationship-Based Approach as the Foundation for Nightlife Management – Dallas city staff would benefit from the Proactive Alliance relationshipbased approach training for establishing trust with business owners and collaboratively reaching mutually beneficial outcomes.

2. Establish a Full-Time Nightlife & Entertainment Team – The City of Dallas should create a full-time nightlife and entertainment team consisting of agency liaisons from Dallas Police, Dallas Fire-Rescue, Dallas Code Compliance Services, Dallas County Health, and Human Services, and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

3. Establish a Unified Nightlife Strategy - A unified nightlife strategy will create accountability for city agencies and businesses. In addition, clearly defined roles and inter-agency collaboration for city staff will help in the effort to guide businesses toward prevention and collaborative problem-solving Specifically, the unified strategy should include the following:

- A shift from reactive enforcement to a problem-oriented approach

Inter-agency collaboration

- Nightlife agency deployment

- Provide nightlife training to Dallas Police officers

During Safe Night’s site visits and interviews in December 2021, the following entities expressed support for a relationship-based approach:

• The Community Prosecution staff at Dallas City Attorney’s Office

• The Code Compliance Services Department

• The Dallas Police Department

• The Dallas Fire and Rescue Department

• The Public Improvement Districts

• Businesses owners

24HourDallas

1. Increase Safety – Require bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues that serve alcohol to meet established safety standards before earning the Copper Star certification.

2. Share Data - City and state agencies share data to identify venues struggling to maintain safety standards and participate in ongoing collaborative problem-solving.

3. Collaborate in Problem-Solving - 24HourDallas collaborates closely with public improvement districts to promote the GNI and help businesses meet safety standards.

The Good Neighbor Initiative

The GNI is a comprehensive, community-based program that aims to create safer nights out. The program prioritizes safety at establishments that serve alcohol and draw on public safety resources. Voluntary accreditation programs such as Best Bar None in the U.K. and Canada and the Arlington Restaurant Initiative (ARI) are successful because they identify staff and patron safety as the first and most crucial step to building safe and vibrant nightlife areas.

“The Copper Star Certification program encouraged me to look at how I operate my business from another perspective. It was important to acknowledge the need for setting clear guidelines for all aspects of safety and security from within as well as upholding standards necessary to be good members of our community.”

June Chow, Hello Dumpling East Dallas, LLC

Formal bar and restaurant accreditation models improve employment policies and practices that keep staff and patrons safe. With its focus on safety and well-being, the GNI program addresses the foundational concern of Dallas nightlife areas: providing safer nightlife districts for patrons to enjoy.

In early December 2021, 24HourDallas launched the GNI. Kelli Smith of the Dallas Morning News reported, “One of the initiative’s main pillars, called A Safe Night Out, concentrates on building communication and trust between businesses and city agencies through training and consultation. 24HourDallas partnered with Safe Night LLC, a national organization with expertise in reducing alcohol-related harm to businesses.” (Smith, 2021)

Quotes from the Dallas Morning News article (12/24/21):

• “The opportunity here is for the private sector to say, ‘Hey, let’s see what we can do,’ said Randall White, founder of 24HourDallas.”

• “Mastoras said 24HourDallas is heightening the initiative, and he believes many cities will follow its example.”

• “And that’s what’s very attractive here. There is a lot of potential. I am beyond excited for what is possible here.” - MPO Dimitrios Mastoras (Ret.), Safe Night

The six key components of the Good Neighbor Initiative are:

1. Copper Star Certification Program

The voluntary Copper Star Certification program is meant to help businesses, organizations, and establishments in the night-time economy. Participation in the program requires businesses to meet higher operational standards, implement employee policies, and participate in training to improve safety and reduce liability.

Night-time operators in Dallas achieve the Copper Star certification by earning points in the following sections:

• Safety & Well-Being – Policies, practices, and training that reduce the risk to staff and patrons from crime or injury.

• Internal Operations - Policies and procedures that reduce liability and give staff expectations.

• Community Relations - Practices that show businesses are considerate and invested neighbors

• Appeal & Attractiveness - Steps businesses take to be cleaner, more inclusive, and more attractive.

Impact of the Copper Star Certification

Since January 2022, the Copper Star Certification program has had the following impact in Dallas:

• 44 businesses completed the program representing 50 locations across Dallas.

• 96.4% of businesses surveyed would recommend the Copper Star Certification program to other business owners and operators.

• 4.5/5: the average score given by businesses surveyed on the value of the Copper Star Certification in promoting Dallas’ night-time economy.

• Free training includes active bystander intervention training, reducing human trafficking, and respect and inclusion.

• Top motivators for business owners’ participation included: Improved community status, exposure as a responsible operator, lower liability and legal risks, and $500 microgrants provided by 24HourDallas

The voluntary Copper Star Certification is successful because business owners understand the program and recognize its value. The high number of establishments that earned the Copper Star certification speaks to the commitment of the businesses in the City of Dallas and 24HourDallas Project Manager Bryan Tony.

What Business Owners are Saying About the Copper Star Certification:

“The program was a great experience for our management team. We were able to see what we are doing right today and what we need to improve on and implement.”

Adrian Verdin, Hospitality Alliance

“The Copper Star Certification program was great in pointing out areas of improvement for our training.”

Oscar Perdomo, The Men’s Club of Dallas

“The Copper Star Certification Program was a great program to make us look into and update what a lot of us typically take for granted: our employee handbooks.”

Jimmy Contreras, Taco Y Vino

“I thought the Copper Star Certification program was a great experience, and the certification in and of itself is very valuable to promoting the city's night time economy and safety.”

Paige Walters, Klyde Warren Park

“The certification was great. They asked a lot of questions that made us address policies we had in place and create policies for things we didn’t have in place.”

Antonio Everette, Sandaga813

“24Hour Dallas' desire is a safer, more vibrant night-time patron experience and through the Copper Star Certification Program, they are ensuring that our wonderful city's nightlife will flourish.”

Ted Whitehead, AT&T Performing Arts Center

“The Copper Star Certification process was very insightful and brought up some policies and safety practices that we needed to shine some more light on.”

Richard Butler, Silver City

“The mission of 24HourDallas's Copper Star Certification program is enviable and important in our city. It helped me get a handle on some of the organizational holes we missed during our initial company setup.”

Chad Montgomery, Civil Pour

GNI Spotlight – Project Director Bryan Tony, MPA, 24HourDallas

Bryan Tony, MPA, is the first Good Neighbor Initiative project manager and has led the program by being a tireless nightlife safety advocate. His greatest strength is his passion for collaborating with experts in the night-time economy and recruiting stakeholders to commit to change. Bryan is a versatile public policy professional with experience in non-profit, corporate, and community-based settings. He is skilled at engaging corporate stakeholders and community members, identifying key levers to meet diverse needs, promoting positive change, and influencing political and policymaking processes.

“Since A Safe Night Out training in April 2022, we have been hard at work implementing the City of Dallas’ Nightlife Assessment and Recommendations Report. Our cross-departmental monthly meetings with the City of Dallas continue to bear fruit, and more communication is happening inside and outside of Dallas City Hall than ever before. Our Quarterly Clubs, Pubs & Bars meetings, topical public training, and growing Copper Star Certification program are all shining examples of this. While more work remains ahead to make Dallas safer, more inclusive, and more vibrant at night, the public and private sectors are coming together to keep us on the right track.” – Bryan Tony

Copper Star Recognition

D Magazine recognized the Copper Star certification launch in an article titled “How Your Nighttime Business Can Become Certified to Safety.” The article discusses the launch of the Copper Star certification, “The group’s Good Neighbor Initiative has several pilot programs and is working with companies to help them become safer places for patrons. The group created the Copper Star Certification, a voluntary program that allows businesses to build trust with enforcement and law enforcement by demonstrating their commitment to safe night-time businesses, including any open or serving customers between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. The certification may be codifying and writing down policies already in place, ensuring employees are trained, and operations are thought through.” (Maddox, D Magazine, 2022)

On August 22, 2022, Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax spoke at the Copper Star Certification Celebration to congratulate the first class of Copper Star-certified businesses and highlight the importance of the program to Dallas’ night-time economy

“24HourDallas and its Copper Star certified businesses are leading by example in the City of Dallas,” said Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax. “As the City of Dallas strives to promote real change, we recognize the valuable contributions these businesses have made to be more responsible, equitable, accountable, and legitimate parts of Dallas’ growing night-time economy” (Tony, 2022)

GNI Spotlight – Jose Ruiz, Supervisor, Dallas Code Compliances

“Currently, I supervise and oversee code enforcement and education initiatives related to business activities that occur at night and other nightlife activities in the City of Dallas. This includes all nighttime entertainment venues, restaurants, clubs, bars, stores, food trucks, vendors, and others.

Attending A Safe Night Out training and beginning a partnership and collaboration with 24HourDallas, has benefited and strongly influenced how my team and I engage with nightlife in the city. The training and meetings have helped establish a stronger working relationship with other city departments, as well as with our most important stakeholders, the business owners and the citizens of Dallas. One example that comes to mind is when a business owner proactively reached out to code, fire, and building inspections to correct potential issues, establish a personal connection with staff, and avoid potential future problems ” - Jose Ruiz

2. A Safe Night Out

Safe Night provides comprehensive strategies to municipal agencies, business owners, trade associations, business improvement districts, and community groups to build mutually beneficial relationships using an evidence-based, multicomponent approach called A Safe Night Out. This model provides a path to involve all stakeholders when implementing strategies to reduce alcoholrelated harm and improve safety and economic viability.

In April 2022, Safe Night staff, including Molly C. Mastoras, MA, LPC, President, Master Police Officer Dimitrios Mastoras (Ret.) Executive President and Dustin Lowe, Proactive Alliance Relationship-Based Policing Instructor, traveled to Dallas to teach A Safe Night Out to staff from the following agencies and organizations:

• 24HourDallas

• City of Dallas Attorney, Community Prosecution Office

• Dallas Police Department

• Dallas Fire and Rescue Department

• Dallas Code Compliance

• Dallas County Health and Human Services

• Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission

• Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)

• West End Association

• Methodist Dallas Medical Center

• Dallas restaurant, bar, and club owners

Molly C. Mastoras, Safe Night

Dustin Lowe, Safe Night

Safe Night’s nightlife management incorporates multi evaluating the need for nightlife management, collecting standards of operation for businesses that serve alcohol. Proactive Alliance approach. based municipal business owners while breaking down barriers collaborative problem 2022)

they received from Safe Night. T from agency staff concepts for building relationships to improve collaborative problem the following in the survey:

• Proactive Alliance's relationship-based approach has changed the way they view themselves and the community

• City staff agrees that empathy helps them connect with the community while learning to become problem-solvers

• City staff feel they will be able to apply the knowledge learned and have more resources to work with when they are in the field

• Staff reported meeting and training with Dallas’ business owners and managers were very helpful to them

A Safe Night Out - Nightlife Management Training Attendee Survey Summary City of Dallas April 2022

A Safe Night Out’s Impact in Dallas Community Training

On September 18, 2022, 24HourDallas organized the first active shooter response and “Stop the Bleed” training with the Dallas Police Department and Methodist Dallas Medical Center for the nightlife industry at the It’ll Do Club. Over fifty (50) staff from Dallas areas from restaurants, bars, and clubs attended the training. The joint training was covered by the television station CBS DFW News and on the radio by KRLD and WBAP

CBS 11 KVT-TV

Monthly City Staff Meeting

24HourDallas leads monthly meetings with the City of Dallas staff including the Dallas Police, Dallas Fire-Rescue, Code Compliance, Community Prosecution, Transportation, Convention and Event Services, Planning and Urban Design, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and Dallas County Health and Human Services. The purpose of the regular meetings is to discuss how the city agencies can best address issues to help businesses succeed while achieving compliance with the law.

Quarterly Dallas Clubs, Pubs, and Bars

On July 18, 2022, 24HourDallas kicked off the Quarterly Dallas Clubs, Pubs, and Bars meeting at the Dallas Central Public Library to create a public forum between businesses and the City of Dallas. The event was well-attended, with over fifty (50) attendees, with media coverage including a KERA article and on KRLD radio.

GNI Spotlight –

Captain Gilbert Padilla, Dallas Fire & Rescue

“Dallas was facing several challenges in our entertainment districts: from crime, to complaints of code violations, to transportation issues. We tried what we always do: a multi-agency enforcement approach involving Dallas Police, Dallas Fire-Rescue, Code Compliance, and the City Attorney’s Office. A Safe Night Out and 24HourDallas forced us as a city to reexamine if we really attempted to build relationships in a meaningful way with our businesses. Have we done everything we can? The key to any kind of prevention is education, and to deliver an educational message, you must have a foundation of trust. A Safe Night Out and 24HourDallas champion this approach for one reason: It works. Our businesses’ success is our success, and I am hopeful that this approach will continue to work to benefit our city, our businesses, our citizens, and our guests.” - Gilbert Padilla

Police Full-Time Nightlife Team

In the fall of 2022, Dallas Police created a full-time nightlife team in Deep Ellum responsible for improving relationships and intervening with patrons before violence occurs. The new unit will utilize the strategies Safe Night provided to Dallas Police staff in A Safe Night Out training. The focus shifts Dallas city staff responses from reactive enforcement to problemoriented approaches that have beneficial outcomes for all. Additionally, on January 20, 2023, the City of Dallas announced the creation of the “Dallas Nighttime Economy Team,” consisting of Convention and Event Services (CES), Dallas Fire-Rescue, Dallas Police Department, and Code Compliance. In partnership with 24HourDallas, CES approved hiring Dallas’ first-ever nighttime economy manager and two coordinators. The team will focus on issues related to nightlife and help businesses improve compliance with the law.

Impaired Driving Prevention

For the 2022 holiday season, 24HourDallas partnered with Lyft, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), AAA Texas, and the Dallas County DWI Taskforce to prevent impaired driving. From late December to early January, patrons receive $10 off their ride home using the code SBERRIDE. The effort has been the most successful rideshare campaign to date, with 76 rides given. Additionally, the campaign messaging reached 27.2K people with 580 engagements and 187 link clicks.

Longitudinal Research Agreement

The Methodist Dallas Medical Center Trauma Center and other Dallas area Level 1 Trauma Centers have committed to studying the impacts of the Good Neighbor Initiative. Areas of harm that will be evaluated in the agreement include:

• Alcohol intoxication level

• Alcohol-related violence

• Sexual assault

• Human trafficking

• Motor-vehicle injuries

This partnership will help 24HourDallas, and the City of Dallas evaluate incidents and injuries related to alcohol. Additionally, this data can assist the city in determining where to focus prevention efforts.

“The premise behind the Copper Star Certification is paramount to creating a safer night-time environment with the creative focus on training businesses on a variety of key safety initiatives. From code compliance to human trafficking recognition and prevention to decreasing drunk driving, the Copper Star Certification is setting the groundwork to transform the City of Dallas at night and increase the safety of those that operate during those hours. The potential impact is exciting!”

- Sarah Bradley, R.N., Injury Prevention,

and Outreach Coordinator, Methodist Dallas Medical Center

GNI Spotlight – Deputy Chief Israel Herrera, Dallas Police Department

“The partnership with 24HourDallas has been an amazing experience and one I am looking forward to growing. The police and other city services are able to communicate with a broad group of businesses, such as nightclubs, hotels, restaurants, pubs, special events groups, and associations, to discuss best practices and issues related to businesses and to work together towards solutions for communities around them. Recently 24HourDallas hosted an active shooter training put on by the Dallas Police Department for businesses. The turnout was amazing. Hearing the businesses’ concerns and being able to explain how police respond to these types of incidents further promotes a stronger and safer community. I have learned so much from others in the industry and looking forward to forging a stronger relationship.”

- Israel Herrera

3. Women U-Night

24HourDallas created the Women U-Night event to promote their commitment to helping women feel safe in Dallas at night. The event, which was held on March 8, 2022, on International Women’s Day, serves as a backdrop for the first-ever night safety charter, a pledge from businesses for nighttime operators to champion women's safety and adopt a women’s night-time safety charter. The event attracted over 300 attendees, including Pernod Ricard USA executives, Dallas City Councilmembers, and other community leaders.

"What it says is that organizations, businesses, the city we're making a commitment to ensure that women feel safe at night. So, it is a list of activities and initiatives that businesses can sign up to make their commitment, and visible commitment, to the city and to women here to say, 'We care about you,’ Brand said.” (Ferguson, March 8, 2022)

The night-time women’s safety charter asks operators to do the following:

“Agree that women deserve to feel safe and comfortable everywhere at night. To that end, we pledge to:

• Identify someone who will champion the safety of those women who patronize or work at our establishment at night.

• Emphasize to staff and customers (through policies and communications) that we take women's safety seriously at our establishment at night.

• Train staff to believe any woman who claims to have been harassed verbally, physically, or

sexually in our establishment and to record all such incidents.

• Recognize when a woman is binge drinking or has had her drink spiked, and take steps to ensure her safety.

NBC 5 KXAS-TV

• Ensure all women we employ, either directly or through a subcontractor, are working by choice and not as forced labor.

• Participate in some women's safety programs, like those offered by the Hospitality Coalition Against Domestic Violence or “Ask for Angela.”

ieving the , March 8, 2022)

operators to prioritize women’s safety. A Dallas City hour city, and we want to start creating safe spaces for all, women's safety is such a huge piece of that night," Brand said. "And, we want to keep it fun,

GNI Spotlight – Councilmember Cara Mendelsohn, City of Dallas

"Dallas is the most dynamic city in America with opportunities for everyone, everywhere, and at every hour. Our nighttime economy is strong, especially in the hospitality and medical industries, and the potential is even greater. One area of focus is the safety aspect of the nighttime economy for workers and customers. The Good Neighbor Initiative from 24 Hour Dallas is helping shine a light on ways to protect people by engaging businesses and government on multiple fronts. The women's nighttime safety charter is leading the way!"

- Cara Mendelsohn

4. Anti-Human Trafficking

24HourDallas supports and amplifies the intervention role that the hospitality and restaurant sectors can have to prevent labor and sex trafficking. In partnership with the North Texas Coalition Against Human Trafficking (NTCAHT), trained Copper Star-certified businesses and distributed signage to display from Mosaic Family Services in Dallas.

5. Every Voice

The purpose of Every Voice is to address unconscious bias toward consumers in the nightlife sector and help diversify night-time powered certified to improve customer experiences, workplace environments, and employee professional development pathways.

Mandell, Greenville Avenue Pizza Company

“Dallas has a bad reputation for being an unsafe place to go out at night. It makes me sad because this is not the Dallas we know as restaurant owners and lifelong residents. The Copper Star Certification shows our community and neighbors that we care about them. I hope everyone finds out about this program and participates to make Dallas a better and safer city.”-

Molly Mandell

is currently under development and seeks to provide intervention to supplement public safety efforts in Dallas’ nightlife districts. In addition, Dallas Community Emergency volunteer program and partner Giving Square is proud to be a part certification recipients. This is a first step towards creating a better work and entertainment environment for the people of Dallas around best-in-class operating Giving Square.

GNI Program Evaluation

From early 2023 through the end of 2024, 24HourDallas will collect data to determine GNI program effectiveness and impact on public safety and economic vibrancy. This evaluation will be in addition to data gathered by Methodist Dallas Medical Center Trauma Center in their longitudinal study

For a more in-depth look at the data that will be collected, please see Appendix A.

Conclusion

Reducing crime in nightlife areas requires investment from all essential stakeholders, including city agencies, businesses, and the community. This is no small task and requires long-term commitments to relationship building, data gathering and analysis, and interagency planning. Shifting from piecemeal, enforcement-only reactions to a relationshipbased, prevention-focused, collaborative approach takes time and sustained effort from agency leaders.

The Good Neighbor Initiative and the Copper Star Certification have become the new standard in Texas for improving safety, building relationships, and encouraging collaboration among stakeholders in the night-time economy. As the program grows over the next several years, it will be essential to measure several areas of the partnership between the City of Dallas and 24HourDallas. After providing a solid foundation and a blueprint looks forward to supporting Dallas’ continued growth and vibrancy

relationships with businesses instead of relying on enforcement and regulations, said Bryan Tony, 24HourDallas’ project manager.”

- (Dallas Morning News, 2022)

“24HourDallas, a local profit, has pushed the city to prioritize Dallas’ “night-time economy” which it defines as businesses that stay open between 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. City agencies can build better

References

CBS DFW. (2022, September 6). Dallas police, Methodist Health participate in active shooter response training. KTVT-TV.

https://www.cbsnews.com/dfw/video/dallas-police-methodist-health-participatein-active-shooter-response-training/

Ferguson, D. (2022, March 8). ‘Women U-Night' in Gathering for a Cause on International Women's Day

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/women-u-night-in-gathering-for-acause/2909379/

Gill, C., & Mastoras, M. C. (2021). Proactive Alliance: Combining policing and counselling psychology. Journal of Community Safety and Well-Being, 6 (3), 112 –117.

https://doi.org/10.35502/jcswb.193.

Mastoras, D. (2019). The Arlington Restaurant Initiative: A Nightlife Policing Strategy to Improve Safety and Economic Viability. Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

https://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-P372

Osborne, R., Reece, K., De Alba, A. (2022, September 9). Dallas police are creating a new unit to focus on Deep Ellum, WFAA-TV

https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/dallas-police-department-are-creatinga-new-unit-to-focus-on-deep-ellum/287-383b9eea-dbbc-4fac-9053-ac55ec6f87e0

Smith, K. (2021, December 24). Non-profit unveils safety initiative to tackle discrimination, crime in Dallas’ nightlife districts

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2021/12/24/nonprofit-unveils-safetyinitiative-to-tackle-discrimination-crime-in-Dallas-nightlife-districts/

Smith, K. (2022, September 29). Dallas ramps up efforts to crack down on alcohol licenses of ‘irresponsible businesses’

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2022/09/30/dallas-ramps-up-effortsto-crack-down-on-alcohol-licenses-of-irresponsible-businesses/

Tony, B. (2022). 24HourDallas hosts inaugural Copper Star Certification Celebration honoring 44 night-time businesses becoming Copper Star Certified https://24hourdallas.org/copper-star-celebration-press-release/

A Case Study of the Good Neighbor Initiative – Dallas, Texas Ó2023

About the Authors

Master Police Officer Dimitrios Mastoras (Ret.) Co-Founder, Executive Vice President

Dimitrios (Jim) Mastoras served as a Master Police Officer in Arlington County, Virginia, for almost twenty-four years. As Arlington’s first nightlife liaison, he used the relationship-based policing techniques of Proactive Alliance to establish trustful relationships with bar and restaurant owners, providing the foundation to develop and implement strategies aimed at reducing alcoholrelated violence. Using this approach, Jim developed the first restaurant accreditation program in the U.S. to focus on best practices and law compliance for bars and restaurants while also increasing safety and economic viability.

Jim authored a toolkit published by the DOJ COPS Office in 2019 titled, The Arlington Restaurant Initiative - A Nightlife Strategy to Improve Safety and Economic Viability, and an article titled, Solving Complex Crime Requires Community Relationships in Policing Insight. Additionally, he co-authored an article titled, Traffic Safety Initiatives: SoberRide-Enhancing Enforcement Efforts Since 1982 in IACP Police Chief Magazine. His work for Arlington County has been recognized by the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) for saving lives and preventing injuries caused by drunk driving in the Washington, DC, Metro area.

Molly C. Mastoras, MA, LPC Co-Founder, President

Molly Mastoras is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Virginia and Connecticut. She has worked as an assistant program director and probation counselor for the Fairfax County Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court and as a social worker for the Fairfax County Office for Women and Arlington County Child Protective Services (CPS). Molly has worked extensively with survivors of sexual assault throughout her career, leading to the creation of Safe Night Active Bystander, a sexual assault prevention and interventiontraining program.

She developed the Proactive Alliance relationship-based approach, which teaches police and enforcement agencies to develop relationships to enhance problem-solving with the community using adapted counseling therapy concepts. She co-authored several articles, including Proactive Alliance in IACP Police Chief Magazine and Productive and Proactive in Sheriff & Deputy Magazine and Proactive Alliance: Combining Policing and Counselling Psychology in the Journal of Community Safety and Well-Being with Dr. Charlotte Gill.

Molly has presented the Proactive Alliance concept at the American Society of Evidenced-Based Policing (ASEBP) conference, the Problem-Oriented Policing (POP) Conference, and the International Conference on Law Enforcement & Public Health (LEPH). Molly also serves on the Board of Directors for the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP).

About Safe Night LLC

Safe Night LLC, established in January 2018, is a consulting firm that combines the expertise of a licensed professional counselor and a career law enforcement officer to provide solutions to increase safety and economic viability for communities. Safe Night trains law enforcement agencies, including local and state enforcement agencies, police, fire marshals, code enforcement, and public health inspectors. Safe Night has years of experience in law enforcement, public policy, and social services. For more information about Safe Night and the Proactive Alliance relationship-based policing approach, visit Safe-Night.com.

About 24HourDallas

24HourDallas is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit that encourages collaborations, incubates cultural activity, champions sociable districts, and inspires business development ... all to the benefit of Dallas' night-time economy. 24HourDallas consists of volunteers who advocate for Dallas's business and arts districts and lead promotional awareness campaigns.

Appendix A

Social Impact Analysis Data

Dallas Police

• Violent Crime

- Rape - Sexual assault

- Aggravated assault and battery

- Assault and battery on law enforcement

- Assault and battery

- Disorderly conduct

• Quality-of-Life Crime

- Drunk in public

- Underage possession of alcohol

- Urinating in public

- Possession of a fake ID

- Destruction of property

- Noise complaints

- Trash/Litter

- Pedestrian violations

• Traffic Violations

- Driving under the influence

- Reckless Driving

- Hit and Run

Dallas Fire-Rescue

• Emergency medical services calls

• Fire marshal inspections for occupancy and public safety issues

• Over-occupancy and fire code violations

• Required time needed to re-inspect violations

Public Health

• SBIRT: Screening, Brief Intervention & Referral to Treatment

• Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C) screening

• Binge-drinking

• Number of injuries and fatalities related to crashes involving drinking and substance abuse

Code Inspection Services

• Hours spent per business to investigate violations

• Hours per violation

• Hours per inspection

• Hours per re-inspection

Community Prosecution

• Case hours

• Case hours for court

• Data collection

Planning and Zoning

• Hours spent per business to prepare permits

• Hours per violation

• Hours per inspection

• Hours per re-inspection

Texas ABC

• Hours per officer or per shift

• Overtime hours for administrative hearings

• Hours per arrest or out of service

• Hours per violation

• Hours per inspection

• Required time needed to re-inspect violations

Businesses

• Number of businesses that earn Copper Star certification

• Number of employees trained

• Number of employees issued policies

• Perception of safety