A Dallas police deputy chief is raising money for families that have lost loved ones to violent crime this year.
Rather than buy Christmas presents for the detectives he works with, Deputy Chief Craig Miller is selling 1,000 red, white and green bracelets inscribed with the words "tree of angels" for $1 each.
"This a sign for these people, these poor victims, that there is hope," he said.
The Crime Victims Council of Dallas invites families of homicide victims to place an ornament in their memory on the Tree of Angels at Cliff Temple Baptist Church.
"These are the people that, when we respond to scenes and we see some of the most horrific scenes in the city, and the people have some of the most dramatic losses of loved ones, these are the people that are here tonight," said Miller, who has overseen 750 homicide investigations in Dallas.
Kim Segale, who attended the annual tree-lighting ceremony on Thursday night, was among the first to buy one of Miller's bracelets. She said it's a good reminder for herself and for others.
"I'm not alone in this," she said. "There are people that this happens to every day."
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This is Segale's first Christmas without her 23-year-old son Patrick, who was killed in a Garland apartment complex in July.
"I cry every day, especially during this time of year," she said.
"I go to the cemetery every Thursday," Segale said. "That's the day he was buried, and I put fresh flowers out. My life will never be the same, never."
All of the proceeds from the "tree of angel" bracelets will benefit families in the Dallas area who have lost loved ones in the past year.
