The operation lasted from February 2 to March 12 and was focused on fugitives wanted for robbery offenses that happened in Dallas and in the surrounding area.
DALLAS, Texas — Dallas Police and the U.S. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force have spent the last six weeks targeting violent offenders across the city.
Through a joint effort known as ‘Operation Clean Sweep,’ police have arrested 61 people with robbery warrants for offenses in the city of Dallas and the surrounding area, according to Dallas Police. Officials say some of those taken into custody were also wanted for more serious charges, including aggravated assault and capital murder.
“We’re looking for those who are most likely to reoffend, based on their prior history,” said Dallas Police Chief Danial Comeaux
Police say the work isn’t slowing down either.
“We’re not going to stop,” one official said. “We’re going to keep doing this every single day, every week, and every month.”
But for Victor Alvelais, conversations about crime and violence aren’t theoretical; they’re personal.
“I once was a perpetrator of violence,” Alvelais said. “I served 26 years in prison because of that.”
Now, he’s working to make sure others don’t follow the same path.
Inside the Oak Cliff Empowerment Center, Alvelais has created a community working directly to help de-escalate conflicts, connect people to services, and offer a safe space for conversations that can stop situations before they turn deadly.
“This space is special,” he said. “We’re trying to attack the problem without adding to the incarceration rate,” Alvelais said. “The community is not just one entity.”
Alvelais said efforts like Operation Clean Sweep can play an important role, but believes lasting change also requires investment in prevention.
“We want our communities to be safe,” he said.
For him, that means stopping violence before it starts—by reaching people early and offering a different path forward.