Neighbourhood on ‘lock-down’ after 12th anti-gay attack in three months
A neighbourhood in Dallas has been put on “lock-down” after many anti-gay hate crimes have been reported there.
Dallas’ Oak Lawn neighbourhood has seen many attacks in several months.
Last week, Geoffrey Hubbard was attacked, and became the twelfth victim in three months of similar attacks.
He was struck in the head with a rock while he walked to a friend’s house, and suffered a temporal bone fracture.
An organisation local to the area, which demands an increased police presence in the area, released a statement noting that many of the attacks have included the use of homophobic language.
“In several of these attacks, homophobic language has been used by the assailants,” the organisation said.
“For weeks DPD has promised an increased presence in the neighbourhood. When pushed on the fact that such an increase has been spotty and largely invisible, DPD has pointed to officer shortages and has now even suggested that the protection provided by our tax dollars is not enough and that we should pay for expanded patrols by off duty officers.”
After the most recent attack, the police have put the neighbourhood on “lock-down”.
They say residents should “take care of each other” and extra officers have been assigned to the area.
The mayor of Dallas, Mike Rawlings, has also gone door-to-door in the neighbourhood to reassure residents.
Crimestoppers has also increased its reward for information from $5,000 to $10,000 in the wake of last Thursday’s assault.
Hubbard has warned others, as he continues to recover from his attack.
“I’m not saying avoid the streets and lock your doors,” he told WFAA-TV.
“but don’t travel alone.”
