Video Of Arrest Shows Oak Lawn Patrols In Action

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DALLAS (CBSDFW) - "Go! Now!" yelled Damon Farris, as he approached a suspected vandal. The man, he said, tried to throw a metal pole through the window at Woody's, an Oak Lawn bar. He then crossed the street and approached Alexandre's, where Farris is a manager.

Farris said he pulled out his cell phone and started taking video, hoping to get a picture of the suspect. "It was just a reaction. It was just a 'pull your phone out', do something, do something that's going to help," he said.

Within seconds, police were pulling up to arrest the man. "They had seen me running across the street with my camera… and they knew something was going on," said Farris.

He posted the video on social media, thanking Dallas Police for their presence. Within hours, it had more than 3,400 views. "A year ago, it absolutely wouldn't have happened. The fact there are increased patrols is the reason someone spotted me chasing him," said Farris.

In the past year, more than a dozen people have reported assaults in Oak Lawn. Two are employees at Alexandre's. Community outrage has led to rallies, town hall meetings, and increased patrols by neighborhood volunteers and police.

Farris sees a change taking place.

"There's a lot of hard work ahead, but it's happening," he said.

Competing businesses watch over each other, according to Farris, and residents look out for anyone walking alone to make sure they're safe. Turning a blind eye no longer seems to be an option.

"Instead of just saying,'oh, someone's throwing something at a business, whatever,' the community has come together over everything that's happened," said Farris.

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