By Tristan Hallman
The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS — Billionaire Mark Cuban plans to donate $1 million to the Dallas Police Department in response to last weekend’s deadly Orlando LGBT nightclub shooting, Mayor Mike Rawlings announced Wednesday.
Rawlings said in a news release that the money will be set aside for 16,000 hours of overtime for a bigger police presence for Oak Lawn, as well as other counterterrorism efforts.
Oak Lawn, known for its LGBT community, has come into focus in Dallas since Sunday’s attack in which a gunman killed 49 people and wounded dozens of others before officers killed him. The attack was the worst mass shooting in American history.
Last year, Oak Lawn residents and patrons were also on edge after a spate of robberies and beatings there. Some believe the attacks, which are unsolved, were hate-motivated.
Rawlings lauded Cuban, an entrepreneur and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, in the release and called on others to follow his example.
“Once again, Mark has demonstrated his devotion to his city by stepping up in a time of need,” Rawlings said. “In the wake of national tragedies, we often hear empty talk from politicians and other influencers. With this pledge, Mark shows he is a man of action who cares deeply about his fellow Dallasites.”
Police Chief David Brown also thanked Cuban. The department has often relied on wealthy donors to help fill extraordinary needs such as surveillance cameras.
Rawlings said Cuban was filming Shark Tank and couldn’t attend an LGBT task force awards news conference at City Hall on Wednesday.
The outspoken Cuban, who has pitched himself as a potential vice presidential candidate in recent weeks, said in the release that he was “proud to be able to help the city of Dallas.”
Copyright 2016 The Dallas Morning News