DALLAS — Police departments across the U.S. will struggle with the same problems on the Fourth of July: a flood of 911 calls from people demanding action against illegal fireworks and gunfire while at the same time not having enough officers to respond to it all.
An Oak Cliff neighborhood homeowners association (HOA) hopes its solution continues help ease that crisis.
"It's just unbearable, out of control," said Ola Mae Allen, the president of the Marsalis Park HOA, when asked about past problems with illegal fireworks and celebratory gunfire in her neighborhood.
In fact, of the seven neighbors she gathered in her living room on July 3 to talk about the problem, three said their homes have been hit by gunfire before.
"I'd step out the door and look and you could see guys with the guns out...boom, boom, boom, going like that," said neighbor Maurine Hines.
"A bullet may come down and a stray bullet doesn't have a name on it," said Sundra Mitchell Taylor.
So, for the third year in a row, the Marsalis Park HOA has hired three off-duty Dallas police officers to patrol their specific neighborhood the night of July 4. They do the same on New Year's Eve.
Allen said the officers patrol for $88 an hour, with DPD offering the marked squad cars for free. And, she said it works.
"I want you to know it isn't perfect. But it isn't what it used to be. And that tells us we are accomplishing, we are doing something positive that is making a difference," she said.
A difference reminding neighbors that fireworks are illegal in Dallas city limits and that gunfire certainly is too.
"Enjoy the holiday but be cognitive of being a part of the neighborhood and caring about your neighborhood," said Taylor.
"We all like to have fun on holidays. But you need to be careful on holidays so the rest of us can enjoy that holiday," said neighbor Mike Tarrio.
"We want Dallas to know and we want the United States to know that Oak Cliff is not a bad place to live." Allen said. "We enjoy where we live and we want to make it better."