In an effort to better protect survivors of Domestic Violence, Dallas police will now report Class C family violence convictions to the city’s department of public safety. The change means a Class C family violence conviction will now show up during a background check when purchasing a firearm and prevent the sale.
Under the new system, those cases will now be electronically uploaded to state and national databases, putting more information into the hands of law enforcement and first responders.
Jan Langbein is the CEO of Genesis Women’s Shelter and Support. She says sharing this critical information paints a clearer picture of a defendant, with charges being changed or enhanced to address the full criminal history.
“The laws are in place but if we are disregarding half of the kinds of crimes that are committed, we are missing out on a lot of information that can then help keep her safe as it begins to escalate.”
