Public Safety Doesn’t Start With a Badge — It Starts With a Paycheck

By Raymond E. Alford Jr.

Candidate for Dallas County Commissioner, District 2

Architect of the Pathways to Prosperity Initiative

For the past three years, Dallas residents have seen a steady stream of headlines involving crime on or around DART trains and stations. Shootings. Stabbings. Assaults. But beneath those tragic moments is a deeper, more persistent issue that rarely gets addressed with honesty: most crime on DART property isn’t violent — it’s economic.

Fare evasion.

Trespassing.

Loitering.

Drug use.

Theft.

Public intoxication.

Disorderly conduct.

These aren’t random acts. They are predictable outcomes of a system that funnels people into transit corridors with no job pathway, no training outlet, no accountability structure, and no economic future.

Dallas keeps responding to this reality with enforcement alone. More patrols. More citations. More arrests. And yet the same individuals show up at the same stations, committing the same non-violent offenses, week after week.

That’s not a policing failure.

That’s a pathway failure.

As County Commissioner, I don’t believe public safety is achieved by choosing between law enforcement or opportunity. We need both. But Dallas has spent decades investing almost exclusively in reaction — and almost nothing in prevention rooted in economic access.

That’s where Pathways to Prosperity comes in.

Pathways to Prosperity is not a slogan. It is a workforce-driven public safety strategy that treats employment, skills, and structure as crime-reduction tools. Instead of cycling people through citations and jail for non-violent offenses, we connect them to paid training, certifications, and direct job placement in industries that Dallas already needs workers for: construction, infrastructure, facilities maintenance, logistics, and office administration.

DART stations sit at the crossroads of our economic failures — but they can also become gateways to opportunity.

Imagine workforce hubs near transit corridors where individuals can be:

Assessed, not arrested

Trained, not ticketed

Employed, not excluded

This is how you reduce non-violent crime without lowering standards and without excusing behavior. Accountability still exists — but it’s paired with a real alternative.

You don’t fix fare evasion by writing more tickets to people who can’t afford them.

You fix it by giving people a reason — and the means — to participate.

Dallas County doesn’t need another task force, it needs pathways.

As Commissioner, my focus will be simple:

Build economic pipelines where crime currently concentrates, measure outcomes, and hold systems accountable for results.

When people have jobs, structure, and dignity, crime goes down — not because we demanded it, but because we designed for it.

Public safety starts long before the police arrive.

It starts with opportunity.

Black Unemployment Is a Wake-Up Call — Dallas County Can Lead the Solution

By Raymond E. Alford Jr., Dallas County Commissioner Candidate & Founder, Pathways to Prosperity

America’s job market may look strong on the national headlines, but real families — especially Black workers — are feeling the strain. Black unemployment is rising nationwide, reaching levels not seen since the Great Recession. That’s unacceptable — especially when strong local leadership and innovative solutions can make a real difference.

Here at home, Dallas County’s unemployment rate climbed to approximately 4.3% in late 2025, up from a year ago — showing that job creation isn’t reaching everyone equally.

But when you dig deeper, the problem isn’t evenly spread. According to recent labor estimates, Black residents in Dallas County face unemployment near twice the rate of other groups — a stark disparity that jeopardizes families and undermines community stability.

This Matters — Because People Suffer When Opportunity Shrinks

These aren’t just numbers — they’re real people struggling to pay rent, support kids, and build futures. In a county where nearly 24% of the population identifies as Black, we must confront this issue head-on with local leadership that’s serious about solutions, not excuses.

Texas — including Dallas — has added jobs and held a relatively low statewide unemployment rate around 4.1% — but that masks the disparity experienced by marginalized workers and communities.

Pathways to Prosperity Is Our Local Answer

As your Commissioner candidate, I’m not offering platitudes — I’m offering a plan built on opportunity, accountability, and real economic results:

1. Career-Ready Training That Leads to Jobs

We’ll expand Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs in partnership with local employers — from healthcare and logistics to tech and advanced manufacturing. These aren’t dead-end certificates — they’re real skills that lead to real jobs with real wages.

2. Apprenticeships With Job Commitments

Dallas County should lead Texas in employer-backed apprenticeships that tie training to job offers — not just training and hope. When an employer commits to hiring graduates, workers win, families win, and our economy wins.

3. Empowering Small Business Growth

Small businesses are the backbone of economic mobility — especially in Black communities. We will cut red tape, expand access to capital, and provide mentorship so entrepreneurs can grow businesses that hire locally and thrive locally.

4. Removing Barriers to Employment

Transportation, childcare, re-entry employment, and targeted support for underrepresented workers shouldn’t be obstacles — they should be priorities. Removing these barriers means connecting more people to the workforce.

5. Results Instead of Rhetoric

Dallas County deserves measurable progress — not political talking points. We will track outcomes, evaluate programs, and pivot when results lag. This isn’t about politics — it’s about prosperity.

No Worker Left Behind:

When Black unemployment grows faster than other groups, it’s not just a statistic — it’s a signal of systemic inequity. If Dallas County is serious about growth for every community, then we must champion real economic opportunity for everyone — not just those who already have it.

My Pathways to Prosperity Initiative is our blueprint for lifting up every worker, closing gaps in employment, and creating an economy that works for hard-working families of every race and background.

This is conservative leadership that delivers results — not excuses.

Let’s move from rising unemployment to rising opportunity — together.

Regional Workforce & Economic Strategy

North Texas business growth projected to drive major economic output — Collin County businesses could account for 10% of Texas’ GDP by 2050, highlighting the region’s expanding economic footprint and workforce impact.

Fort Worth names new economic development director to strengthen business recruitment, workforce programs, small business support, and long-term economic vitality.

North Texans risk missing out on future living-wage jobs, with two-thirds of young adults in Dallas County reportedly unprepared due to educational gaps — a looming workforce challenge.

North Texas companies take workforce development into their own hands, tackling skills gaps that threaten regional competitiveness and growth.

Dallas College chancellor underscores need to equip residents with job-ready skills, as workforce development remains a key economic priority.

North Texas cities are turning university partnerships into engines for growth, leveraging academic ties to fuel entrepreneurship and workforce innovation.

Texas Workforce Commission expands child care support for employers to help parents stay in the workforce and strengthen the local economy.

Major tech infrastructure investments by Google and others signal new high-skill jobs and business development opportunities across the state, with spillover effects in North Texas.

Deeper Initiatives & Strategic Developments

Regional Talent Alignment & Training:

Texas Talent Accelerator launch: University of North Texas and partners launched a regional initiative to align colleges, employers, and workforce data — designed to close skills gaps and prepare students for in-demand jobs across sectors like logistics, healthcare, and tech.

Economic Development Strategy & Priorities:

City and nonprofit economic programs in Fort Worth are fostering business ecosystems — from plan competitions to small business development and incentives for tech projects.

Dallas Region strategic priorities emphasize workforce and talent pipeline development, employer-education partnerships, and inclusive economic growth through collaboration with the Dallas Regional Chamber.

Workforce System Insights:

Dallas workforce sector experts point to industry-sector partnerships as transformational for future workforce development, especially in talent pipeline alignment and employer engagement.

Dallas County doesn’t have a “motivation” problem—we have a systems problem.

Raymond E. Alford Jr.

Dallas County Commissioner (District 2) Candidate | Architect, Pathways to Prosperity

Dallas County doesn’t have a “motivation” problem—we have a systems problem.

And the good news is: the money is starting to show up. The question is whether District 2 is positioned to capture it, stack it, and convert it into credentials + paychecks + contracts for the people who actually live here.

This week, the U.S. Department of Labor announced $98 million in available funding through YouthBuild—a pipeline model designed to deliver academic support, occupational skills training, and employment services for young people ages 16–24, with a heavy emphasis on pre-apprenticeships and direct connections into Registered Apprenticeships.

That’s not “feel-good” funding. That’s workforce infrastructure—and Dallas County should treat it exactly like that.

Because while politicians argue, the market is screaming:

Texas is projected to see nearly 1.7 million job openings each year between 2021–2031, driven by new jobs and retirements.

And Texas 2036 points out that nearly 1 million of those openings will require some level of postsecondary credential—not necessarily a four-year degree, but a credential that proves job readiness.

That’s the core of the Pathways to Prosperity message: we don’t have to guess what the future needs—Texas has already told us. The future is credentialed.

The construction industry is telling us the same thing—louder.

The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and NCCER’s 2025 workforce survey analysis shows the labor shortage isn’t theoretical:

45% of firms reported project delays caused by shortages in their own workforce or their subcontractors’ workforce.

57% of firms said candidates often aren’t qualified because they lack essential skills or the right certificate/license.

95% of firms increased base pay in the past year, and most firms expect to expand headcount—if they can find people.

Translation: There is opportunity on the table, but not enough trained hands to pick it up.

So when I talk about workforce development, I’m not pitching a slogan. I’m talking about how we stop leaving money on the table—and how we make sure District 2 residents are first in line for the jobs and business revenue created by public investment.

Dallas County already has a foundation we can scale.

Look at what’s happening inside Dallas ISD—right here in our backyard:

42,388 students participated in CTE during the 2023–24 school year.

8,332 Dallas ISD CTE students earned 10,857 credentials in 2023–24 (including 10,335 industry-based certifications).

Dallas ISD also operated 25 P-TECH and Early College High School programs, enrolling 8,079 students in 2023–24.

That’s a real pipeline. But here’s the problem District 2 families feel every day:

CTE participation is not the same as CTE-to-career conversion.

We have to tighten the handoff from: school → credential → work-based learning → apprenticeship → full employment → career growth.

And that’s exactly why the $98M YouthBuild opportunity matters. YouthBuild doesn’t just “train.” It pushes grantees to build real partnerships with Registered Apprenticeship sponsors and it sets a performance expectation for transitions into apprenticeship pathways.

That is the model we should be anchoring in South Dallas, Pleasant Grove, and across District 2: pre-apprenticeship into apprenticeship, with transportation, wraparound supports, and employer commitments baked in from day one.

***What I will push as County Commissioner for District 2***

Here’s my platform in plain language:

1) Build a District 2 “Earn-and-Learn” pipeline that matches Texas’ labor reality

Texas is facing massive job churn. District 2 should be the county’s leading example of how to turn that churn into upward mobility.

2) Bring YouthBuild-style funding home—and stack it with local partners

The DOL says grants will fund about 57 awards and range roughly $1M–$2M per grant.

That means the winners will be the communities that already have partnerships ready (schools, training providers, employers, apprenticeship sponsors, supportive services).

We can do that—because we already do it in workforce development every day.

3) Align CTE with construction and infrastructure demand—because delays are money

When 45% of contractors report delays due to labor shortages, that means:

slower infrastructure improvements,higher project costs,

fewer local hires, and missed contracting opportunities for DBE primes and subs.

Workforce is not separate from economic development. Workforce is economic development.

4) Make credentials count by connecting them to employers that are hiring now

Dallas ISD students are earning thousands of credentials.

My job as Commissioner is to help turn those credentials into:

paid internships, apprenticeship slots, job placements,

and long-term career ladders.

Closing: We don’t need permission—we need execution.

District 2 doesn’t need more panels, more photo ops, or more speeches about “the future.” We need a public leader who can operate, who understands how to win grants, build employer coalitions, and make workforce systems accountable to outcomes.

The federal dollars are moving.

Texas’ workforce demand is undeniable.

The construction labor shortage is real—and it’s holding projects back.

And Dallas ISD is already proving that large-scale CTE participation is possible.

Now it’s time to connect those dots—and make District 2 the model for how Dallas County closes the gap.

I’m Raymond E. Alford Jr.

Candidate for Dallas County Commissioner, District 2.

And I’m building Pathways to Prosperity—one credential, one job, and one contract at a time.