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A Billboard Campaign To Track Down Domestic Violence Suspects

The big question after last weekend’s rally against domestic violence is what happens next? You can see one answer to that question on billboards around Dallas County. For the first time, the District Attorney’s office is putting up the equivalent of electronic wanted posters to catch the most wanted domestic violence suspects. 

When former Arlington Police Officer Buddy Evans started working at the Dallas County District Attorney Office less than a year ago, he says he was shocked at the number of domestic violence cases left unsolved.

"I think if people really sit down and started to look at the numbers they would be shocked," he says. 

So he pitched an idea to work with Clear Channel to put upwanted ads for unapprehended offenders.

"This allows the DA’s office to cast a broader net," Evans says, “You know half of our capital murder cases are domestic violence related. When you have something that serious you do whatever you can to try to provide the victim some relief and wind up bringing someone to justice who needs to be.”

Campaign Facts: 

  • There are about a dozen billboards featuring the most wanted suspects located throughout Dallas, and Evans says they plan to add more. 

  • Mugshots of wanted fugitives can also be viewed online here
     
  • There is a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of any of the offenders.

  • If you have information on one of the Dallas County DA's wanted fugitives, contact North Texas Crime Stoppers at 1-877-373-TIPS (1-877-373-8477).

Lauren Silverman was the Health, Science & Technology reporter/blogger at KERA News. She was also the primary backup host for KERA’s Think and the statewide newsmagazine  Texas Standard. In 2016, Lauren was recognized as Texas Health Journalist of the Year by the Texas Medical Association. She was part of the Peabody Award-winning team that covered Ebola for NPR in 2014. She also hosted "Surviving Ebola," a special that won Best Long Documentary honors from the Public Radio News Directors Inc. (PRNDI). And she's won a number of regional awards, including an honorable mention for Edward R. Murrow award (for her project “The Broken Hip”), as well as the Texas Veterans Commission’s Excellence in Media Awards in the radio category.