The Dallas Police Department spent $25,375 controlling traffic around a home whose Christmas decorations attracted large crowds, a city council member said Tuesday.
The nearly 9,000 square-foot Preston Hollow home and yard in the 6200 block of Deloache Avenue was covered with lights and decorations and went viral on social media.
District 13 councilmember Gay Donnell Willis said Dallas officers were sent to control traffic, parking, and people walking across lanes of traffic and on private property.
“While I appreciate homeowners lighting their homes to bring joy to others during the holidays, compromising public safety resources to this extent doesn’t reflect the spirit of the season,” Willis said.
On-duty officers had to supervise the area for eight days during the holiday season and 71 officers during those nights were not able to response to service calls while assigned to the location, according to Dallas Police.
The department said it spent nearly $8,000 sending vehicles and helicopters to the scene alone.
Willis told KERA she hasn’t seen something like this in the past and social media played a large role in the attention the home received.
“I want to strike the balance between having cool Christmas lights, but not creating chaos in a quiet neighborhood,” Willis said.
Got a tip? Email Penelope Rivera at privera@kera.org.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
