Police pledge greater presence on Richmond tacky lights tour

RICHMOND, Va. – Police in suburban Richmond say they have plans to deal with some of the negative side effects from one of the area’s most popular Christmas traditions: tacky lights tours.

The over-the-top holiday displays draw lines of cars, buses and limos. The vehicles can snarl traffic, and neighbours have also complained about drunken and disorderly conduct, including tour participants urinating on lawns after too much partying.

Henrico County police tell the Richmond Times-Dispatch the department will be sending officers into congested neighbourhoods on bicycles and on foot to patrol. They will write tickets for drunken and disorderly behaviour and will be looking out for double parking.

The department also recently called a meeting with the Virginia Limousine Association to address residents’ concerns about the negative side effects.

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Information from: Richmond Times-Dispatch, http://www.richmond.com