When it comes to securing the State Fair of Texas, Dallas City Councilman Philip Kingston says the non-profit organization needs to pay up.
Kingston plans to submit a budget amendment that would require the State Fair of Texas to pay the full price of security.
"It's not OK to ask a citizen to wait two and three hours on a burglary call when the Fair is getting free police," said Kingston.
The Fair currently picks up the tab for overtime pay, which was approximately $1.5 million in 2017, up from $550,000 in 2016.
"DPD can be the source of the security on overtime, but in the last several years DPD has drawn protection from neighborhoods in order to staff the state fair and that's not OK. Your neighborhood will lose police if the State Fair doesn't pay for its own security," he said.
In a statement to NBC 5 the State Fair said it was working with DPD on a security plan for this year's fair.
"We have had several productive meetings and know they are currently working on finalizing the plan. We anticipate we will be presented with the final plan very soon, along with the anticipated cost. As always, our goal is to provide a safe and family-friendly environment to all visitors during the State Fair of Texas," the statement read.
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A spokeswoman for the fair said historically the organization has paid what DPD has asked them to.
"We all have to pay for the stuff we use. I pay for the stuff I use. You pay for the stuff you use. The State Fair needs to pay for the police that it takes out of our neighborhoods," Kingston said.
