The Corpus Christi City Council passed an ordinance yesterday that officially makes Corpus Christi open for business when it comes to Transportation Network Companies. This amendment to Chapter 57 defines the necessary steps that must be taken by a person to become a legal operator for any Transportation Network Company that wishes to provide service in the City of Corpus Christi. The Taxi Inspector for the City of Corpus Christi extends a warm welcome to anybody that is interested in driving for a company that will be providing this service to the citizens of our community.

Chief Taxi Inspector, Mr. Berardo Cantu, can be contacted at 826-3558.  He and his staff are ready and willing to answer questions and also walk potential drivers through the application and vehicle inspection process.

A link to the driver application is attached below:

DRIVER APPLICATION 03.8.2016

Date: 2/04/2016          3:55 AM
Location: 800 S. Shoreline
Offense: Agg. Robbery
P.C. 29.03     1st Degree Felony
Case Number: 1602040015

Corpus Christi Police Robbery Detectives need your help identifying these two suspects.

A 35 year old man was robbed of his wallet, jewelry, three cell phones and some cash by a group of people in the parking lot of a hotel located in the 800 block of South Shoreline Boulevard.

The man was not injured, and was able to tell Officers that the group of three males and two females were in a 2012 Toyota Tundra truck.  The victim told Officers that he had accepted a ride from the group after he had met them at a club on Everhart Road.  Once in the downtown area, the suspects wanted the victim to withdraw money from an ATM machine and give it to them.

The victim was only able to withdraw a small amount of cash from the ATM.  After that he was assaulted and the suspects took his wallet, a watch, a ring, three cell phones, and cash from the victim.

If you recognize these suspects or if you have information about this case please call the Corpus Christi Police Criminal Investigations Division at 886-2840. Anyone who would like to keep their identity secret and provide information to the Detectives should call Crime Stoppers at 888-TIPS (8477) or submit the tip online at http://www.888TIPS.com. Information provided to Crime Stoppers which results in an arrest may earn the caller a cash reward.

As tax time approaches, the Corpus Christi Police Dept. is warning taxpayers of an IRS phone scam that circulates during filing season. CCPD regularly receives reports from people who allege they have received calls from scammers impersonating IRS agents.

Although this scam isn’t new CCPD is again warning about this phone scam, stating the agency has seen a surge in reports of threatening phone calls by criminals impersonating IRS agents.

IRS impersonators make threats of arrest, deportation and license revocation if they don’t receive immediate payment. The scammers then instruct the taxpayer to put money on a prepaid debit card or send payment via wire transfer. The IRS scam is currently trending on the BBB Scam Tracker, an online service that allows consumers to see types of scams being reported throughout the U.S. and read details of the scam. Consumers can view scams by state, by type of scam and dollar amount lost. Consumers can also use BBB Scam Tracker to report scam calls and offers they receive.

CCPD offers this advice to avoid getting scammed:

* Look out for “spoofing”. Part of scammers tactics include spoofing, which happens when the caller masks their own number and causes the number of a well-known service, like the IRS, to appear on caller ID. Also, the caller might give a badge number and know the last four digits of your Social Security number.

* Write down details. If you do get a call and are unsure, write down the phone number and name of the caller.

* Protect your personal information. Don’t provide any account number or other financial information over the phone.

* Know your rights. The IRS doesn’t request for prepaid debit cards or wire transfer payments, and will not ask for a credit card number over the phone. The IRS contacts taxpayers by mail.

* Don’t be bullied. Never trust callers who use threats and hostility to push you into doing what they want. Be skeptical of what a caller claims he or she can do if you refuse to meet their demand.

* Hang up and report it. If you’re unsure if the call is real, contact the IRS directly at 1-800-829-1040 or go to irs.gov. You can also file a complaint with your local BBB, or CCPD

On February 12, 1960 Sergeant Frank Dolan was killed in an automobile accident on Highway 624, near Orange Grove, while returning to Corpus Christi from a meeting in Alice.

His vehicle went out of control on a curve in the road during a period of snow and slushy conditions. His car was broadsided by another vehicle, causing him to suffer fatal injuries.

Sergeant Dolan was a U.S. Navy veteran and had served with the Corpus Christi Police Department for 24 years. He was survived by his wife and three children.

Read more: http://www.odmp.org/officer/21563-sergeant-frank-edward-dolan#ixzz2KiZb6qk6

The City of Corpus Christi will auction 94 cars, trucks, and motorcycles at the Police Vehicle Impound Lot, located at 5485 Greenwood Drive, on Saturday, February 6, 2016. The auction will start at 10:00 am.

The general public is encouraged to register and view the vehicles for auction from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Friday, February 6, 2016. The general public can continue to view the vehicles from 8:00 am to 10:00 am on the day of the auction.

The vehicles for auction may be viewed online and an auction list may be downloaded from www.siskauction.com.