David Kunkle

Dallas PD Loses Assistant Chief Floyd Simpson to Corpus Christi, Where He'll Be Top Cop

​A couple of years back Scott Goldstein wrote quite the flattering profile of Dallas Police Assistant Chief Floyd Simpson -- as in, "In a profession that demands toughness, Simpson embodies compassion." Simpson was former Chief David Kunkle's right-hand man -- the man Kunkle put in charge of the P ... More >>

CNN Pits Dallas Versus Dallas

​Julia Barton, with an assist from Schutze, covered much the same territory earlier this year in her American Icons piece about Dallas for Studio 360. But now that TNT's given the green light to that next-gen Dallas, CNN, as part of its Defining America series, takes a look at how the city stacks ... More >>

Got Some Questions About Next Fiscal Year's Budget? Well, Mary Suhm's Got Some Answers.

​This Friday, shortly before the council goes on summer vacation, we'll get our latest peek at City Manager Mary Suhm's FY2011-12 budget "snapshot," following the mid-May look-see that said she's still around $60 million short of funding the need-to's. Speaking of: Last Friday Suhm sent to council ... More >>

Can Facebook Predict Dallas's Next Mayor? A Social Media "Psychic" Works His Magic.

One of these men will be the next Dallas mayor -- but will the polls validate a Facebook-based preditcion?​Not surprisingly, all four of Dallas's mayoral candidates have Facebook fan pages, some (David Kunkle) more active than others (Edward Okpa). But what, if anything, do Facebook numbers mean? ... More >>

Rawlings, Kunkle Say They'd Ban Political Consultants From Lobbying City Hall

​If Mike Rawlings is serious, the political consultants running his campaign will have a hard time making a living with him in office. At last night's GLBT Chamber mayoral forum, candidates David Kunkle and Mike Rawlings agreed that political consultants who run campaigns and raise campaign money ... More >>

Do You Have Faith in Candidates' Responses to Question About Faith-Based Initiatives?

In recent weeks, the YouPlusDallas gang has been out recording some of the more intriguing mayoral debates and forums, like the arts-and-crafts showdown at the Nasher last week and the Faith and Public Policy Forum held Monday at the Gospel Lighthouse Church on W. Illinois. That event was sponsored ... More >>

It's Time For Another Mike Rawlings Ad

Like Sam said: Mike Rawlings has raised more than $1 million in his quest to become the next mayor of Dallas -- or "nearly three times the combined haul of Ron Natinksy and David Kunkle." And he's determined to spend that dough: Moments ago his campaign posted Rawlings's latest ad (the theme: "It's ... More >>

Do Other "Truly Great American Cities" Talk About Being "Truly Great" As Often as Dallas?

Over here you'll find the highlights from last night's mayoral debate held in front of dozens on the SMU campus; KTVT-Channel 11 was kind enough to cut it up into little pieces, lest we choke on the whole thing. But let's begin the morning at the end of affair -- after all the talk of budgets and br ... More >>

"Leveraging Our Resources," or: If You Read One Council Briefing All Day, Make It This One

The Dallas skyline circa 1982, as depicted in this morning's economic development council briefing​At the end of February, city and council officials explained Dallas's meager 0.8 percent population growth over the last decade thusly: "The third-largest city in Texas is simply built out." Which le ... More >>

Cop Talk With the Mayoral Foursome

On Monday KERA's BJ Austin asked the four candidates for Dallas mayor: Why you? At which point Mike Rawlings whipped out his wallet, David Kunkle flashed his badge, Ron Natinsky cued up an eight-track cassette and Edward Okpa offered his campaign's catchy catchphrase, "Busboy to Mayor." Today Austin ... More >>

We Need a Mayor Who'll Cut Up City Hall's Credit Card.

GOP Hispanics Not Only Group Trying to Keep Okpa From Having His Say in Mayor's Race

It's gonna be hard for Edward Okpa to get much traction in the mayor's race when he's being ignored by The News and several groups sponsoring forums.​Turns out the Dallas Chapter of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly isn't the only organization minimizing the mayoral candidacy of Edward ... More >>

Rawlings Nabs Top Spot as Mayoral and City Council Candidates Pick Ballot Positions

Photos by Sam MertenThe selection of the top spot by mayoral candidate Mike Rawlings turned out to be anticlimactic because it was the only envelope left.​City Secretary Deborah Watkins and her staff oversaw the selection of ballot positions this morning in the Flag Room at City Hall, as mayor ... More >>

Rawlings, Kunkle Dispute Cause of Domestic Violence During Food Bank Debate

Okpa, Kunkle, Natinsky and Rawlings at North Texas Food Bank debate this morning​There was a rather interesting exchange between mayoral candidates Mike Rawlings and David Kunkle at this morning's mayoral debate at the North Texas Food Bank. And it began with a question posed to all four candidate ... More >>

Will Angela Hunt's Endorsement Decide Who's the Next Mayor of Dallas?

​The shoe hanging over the Dallas mayoral election right now is Angela Hunt's endorsement. Depending on which way she goes, Hunt will either give David Kunkle a serious shot at winning or hand Michael Rawlings a cakewalk. Several weeks ago, before Hunt announced she was not going to run for m ... More >>

Kunkle Says As Mayor, He Wouldn't Hike Taxes

​Last week, Ron Natinsky made it official, taking the missus down to City Hall on Valentine's Day to file his petition to run for Dallas mayor. This morning at 10 a.m., David Kunkle will follow in his footsteps, filing his paperwork with the city secretary after gathering enough signatures to get ... More >>

Mayoral Circus 2011: Not the Greatest Show on Earth, but Pretty Fun Anyway

​I gotta say: The coming mayoral election season already smells like a holiday for mediatoids. Things are rockin' and rollin' early. Looks to me like the money just tilted way away from North Dallas city council member Ron Natinsky, who thought he had the money. Meanwhile the campaign of for ... More >>

Much More From Angela Hunt, Who Says Tom Leppert Hasn't Been a Good Mayor

Will Hunt back Kunkle? Find out after the jump.​Earlier this afternoon, we broke the news that Angela Hunt won't be running for mayor. She told us that she believes she can accomplish more as a council member and doesn't think the next mayor should be anyone who's on the current council. As it ... More >>

Dallas Cops Drag, Crawl and Shoot It Out for the Department's Top Gun Title

Photos by Patrick MichelsDPD officer Clarence Chapman signs off on his Top Gun score sheet after detective Pam Starr judged his run through the course. Points off for shooting the reporter.Not saying I know something you don't, but: if Dallas gets hit with a bioterrorism attack, and the only vaccine ... More >>

Targeting Crime (Stats)

​This morning the city council's Public Safety Committee will take a longer, harder look at the 2009 crime stats. At most meetings, they're just tallied up and dropped into the chart you see up above. But this morning council members will be briefed on the rise and fall of crimes committed within ... More >>

Former HP Mayor Collapsed During Chief Kunkle's Retirement Press Conference

Jack Hammack​Sam sends news that moments ago, in the middle of Police Chief David Kunkle's farewell press conference, Jack Hammack, who was standing behind Kunkle, collapsed. Those standing around him, including former Dallas Mayor Laura Miller, tried to help him up, while officers called for a de ... More >>

NY Times Takes on DPD's "Noxious Practice" of Ticketing Non-English Speaking Drivers

​This morning, The New York Times' editorial page insists the tale of Ernestina Mondragon, the first of 39 drivers ticketed by Dallas police for not speaking English to speak up, is merely a symptom of a larger issue: "how local police departments should deal with recent immigrants." (And, no, the ... More >>

Third Time's Not a Charm for Fired Dallas Cop. Also: Bolton Won His Suit Against Dallas?

Kimberly ThorpeDPD Chief David Kunkle testifying today at Fernando Perez's administrative reinstatement hearingThe hearing for once, twice, three-times-a-fired-Dallas cop Fernando Perez just wrapped -- and Administrative Law Judge Willie Crowder upheld the termination. And thus ends the tale of Fern ... More >>

More Cops Means Less Service?

Copping A Feel For The Local Music Scene

Race for the Prize: In March, Dallas Will Get Its Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon On

Megan FeldmanMarathoner and reality TV star Josh Cox was at City Hall for today's announcement.So the "major announcement" at Dallas City Hall this afternoon was the unveiling of a new annual running event: the Rock 'n' Roll Dallas Half Marathon. It's set for March 14, 2010, and organizers -- which ... More >>

Tomorrow Morning, a Fired DPD Officer Will Fight to Get His Job Back

In March, Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle fired Senior Cpl. Jeffrey "Jack" Nelson, one of the three officers involved in the now-infamous phony ticket scandal that also resulted in the officers filing a lawsuit against D magazine last July. As The News recounted upon Nelson's firing in the spring:S ... More >>

You Really Might Wanna Get Auto Insurance Before January 1

This just in from City Hall, a reminder: In exactly one month, drivers stopped for traffic violations who can't prove they have insurance will find their rides getting a free trip to the Dallas Auto Pound. (The return trip will, of course, cost ya. And them some.) Right now, the city tows only cars ... More >>

Oh, We Thought Operation Oasis Involved Some Kind of Wonderwall

Weight of Evidence

Police detective alleges discrimination and cronyism pushed him out of elite unit

Don't Shoot! It's Rosh Hashanah!

Mr. Sunshine

I see Dallas' glass as half-full in 2007, but what's in it?

C'mon Get Happy

Even Buzz finds something to smile about in 2006

Crystal Ball

Buzz's predictions for newly elected Dems

SAFE as Hell

Cops ignore rampant drug trade, crack down instead on squeegee guys

Club Blue Seeing Red

Awkward

The mayor, local reporters and, of course, Chief Kunkle all have an opinion on Sarah Dodd

The Rip

When does an evacuee cease to be a guest and become a pain?

Copping an Attitude

Tag, You're It

SEKT and the City

Can a tagger really be Public Enemy No. 1?

Bah Hum-Buzz

Buzz gets his jollies keeping tabs on 2005's naughty and nice guys. OK, mostly naughty.

Sticks and Stones

Chief Kunkle has to fight crime with the tools the council will give him

Payback

Five cop cars hit a businessman who cried to the city manager

Blame the Other Guys

A former DPD assistant chief over narcotics says she was made a patsy by the city

Kickback City

You wouldn't believe how bad Dallas looks in Austin

Letters

On Your Watch

Those are scary words for Dallas' top cops

Hup, 2, 3

Gay pride takes a walk

Royal Police

Kunkle must teach them to spell d-e-m-o-c-r-a-c-y