Five police officers are dead after a man opened fire at the tail end of a peaceful Black Lives Matter gathering to protest police killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.
As Dallas deals with the aftermath of the largest loss of police lives since 9-11, Lake Highlands residents look for ways to cope, help and heal.
Boy Scout Troop 707, sponsored by our neighborhood Elks Lodge, put to use some 700 large American flags they have on hand as operators of the Lake Highlands American Flag Project (video below).
The group asked the northeast substation of the Dallas police department what they could do to help.
Perhaps they could borrow the troop’s impressive flag collection and line the street near the police station, a representative suggested, to boost morale and make a supportive statement.
Mother Corinne Gordon tells us Troop 707 went a step beyond.
They came out in numbers, along with neighborhood residents, and lined the streets from Shoreview to Audelia and beyond with towering American flags.
It’s the route police who work at the northeast substation on Northwest Highway at Audelia travel to and from their shifts, Gordon says.
So officers will see this display as they drive to and from the station tomorrow and the days to follow.
Home Depot donated equipment to help out, note members of 707.
There has been a huge outpouring of help from the neighborhood, says Gordon and Tim and Brittany Allen.
They note that the local police are special to this neighborhood, working with crime watch groups, holding safety fairs, and so forth.
“This is the least we could do.”
Meanwhile, around the corner at the station, people were coming throughout the day to pay respect to the fallen officers and show gratitude to the working ones.
Men, women, children of all ages and ethnicities could be seen parking and exiting with bundles of flowers, balloons and food for police.
Lochwood resident Veronica Bullard brought her children, who delivered notes and flowers to the Dallas Police Department.
Officer Guillermo Cordova was positioned outside the station this afternoon, where visitors continuously hugged and thanked him.
Cordova was downtown last night when the carnage erupted, he says.
He had a lump in his throat as we spoke, he shared.
“I can’t believe people keep coming,” he says. “I am glad they placed me here tonight. I needed this.”