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The Dallas Police Department is launching a new system to deal with the surging number of car thefts more quickly and efficiently. The system is an attempt to address the average 12-hour police response time to a reported auto theft. As of Monday, a 9-1-1 caller is connected to a video chat call with a limited-duty officer who is injured or otherwise off the streets. The report then goes to the 12-officer auto theft unit, which handles the commonest crime in Dallas. The DPD expects to end 2023 with more than 18-thousand auto thefts.