Category Archives: Community Outreach

Community Outreach

Police Thank Citizen For Help

Victor Zamora accepted a Citizens Certificate of Merit from Patrol Officer Eric Garza

Occurred Wednesday, August 1, 2012, 19:23, Beach Marker 224, Assault, Resisting Arrest, Reckless Driving, 1208010119

A 54-year-old man was recognized Friday, August 10, for his action that helped a police officer in a struggle with four people on the beach on August 1.

The Corpus Christi Police Department held a ceremony at the Flour Bluff Police Assembly Point to honor and thank 54 year old Victor Zamora for his part to aid an officer. Mr. Zamora said he would gladly do anything to help a person in need.

Corpus Christi Police Officer Eric Garza was dispatched to the area of Beach Marker 224 at 7:23pm on August 1 for a reckless driver. Officer Garza saw a red 2000 Mitsubishi Montero sport utility vehicle doing donuts on the beach and initiated a traffic stop. The operator of the vehicle, 19-year-old Kyle Fisk (7/13/1993) displayed aggressive behavior toward Officer Garza. Officer Garza demanded Fisk exit the vehicle. Fisk exited the vehicle then fought with Officer Garza to prevent the application of handcuffs.

The three other occupants of the vehicle then got out of the vehicle and then interfered with the arrest while Officer Garza and Fisk fought in the sand.

Mr. Zamora saw the struggle and stopped to help Officer Garza.

Other Police Officers arrived and arrested: 18-year-old Christian Rodriguez (2/26/1994) for interfering with public duties; 19-year-old Caitlin Fisher (8/3/1992) for assault by contact and interfering with public duties; and 19-year-old Joseph Mitchell (12/25/1992) for interfering with public duties. Fisk was arrested for reckless driving and resisting arrest and the red Montero was impounded.

Assistant Chief of Police J.V. Garcia stands with Victor Zamora as Officer Eric Garza thanks Mr. Zamora for his actions
Community Outreach, Criminal Investigations Division

Police Officers Learn About Insurance Fraud

The National Insurance Crime Bureau provided training Friday to area law enforcement at the Del Mar College and hosted by the Corpus Christi Police Departments Auto Theft Task Force to provide information to identify fraudulently altered or stolen vehicles through document review and vehicle inspection.

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, insurance fraud costs 30 billion dollars per year which is passed onto the insurance customers. The objective for the day long class was to equip law enforcement officers with the ability to decode and detect fraudulent Vehicle Identification Numbers.

ThNational Insurance Crime Bureau is a not for profit organization formed in 1992 dedicated exclusively to fight insurance fraud and crime. The N.I.C.B. has membership of over 1,000 property and insurance companies, self insured organizations, rental car companies, parking service providers, and transportation-related firms. The N.I.C.B. provides training to law enforcement without fee. The class was taught by N.I.C.B. Agents John Mitchell and Mike Gallagher.

Law Enforcement Officers learned about the 17 character Vehicle Identification Number system. The V.I.N. is mandated by Federal regulations as the primary identification number for all vehicles made after 1981.

The N.I.C.B. has the goal to provide the training to the law enforcement officers today to prevent and combat insurance fraud and crime through data analytics, investigations, and public awareness.

As part of the public awareness campaign, the public may use the N.I.C.B.s  VINCheck program for no fee. The VINCheck program allows the public to determine if a vehicle has been reported stolen and not recovered or reported as salvaged. Visit the N.I.C.B. website https://www.nicb.org/theft_and_fraud_awareness/vincheck/vincheck for more information.

Community Outreach, Traffic Safety Division

What to do if you are in a vehicle crash

What do I do if I am in a vehicle crash?

There are many crashes every day in Corpus Christi. Most are minor and have no injuries. It is important to know what to do if you are unfortunate to experience one of these crashes. Your reaction can prevent injuries, reduce the cost, and accelerate the cleanup.

Safety First:

Drivers involved in minor accidents with no serious injuries should move cars to the side of the road and out of the way of oncoming traffic. Additional accidents and injuries can result if cars are left parked in the middle of the road or busy intersection. Drivers and passengers should remain in the cars with seat belts fastened for everyone’s safety until help arrives if the car cannot be moved. Turn on hazard lights and set out cones, flares or warning triangles if it is safe and practical. Provide any aid to injured people if at all possible or appropriate.

Call Police:

The emergency services representative that answers the phone will ask if there are any injuries as a result of this crash. That is a priority for emergency services response. The representative will ask for the location of the crash, how many vehicles are involved, if traffic is blocked by crashed vehicles, and the description of the vehicles. Be ready to provide the information so there will be as little of a delay as possible by emergency responders.

Exchange Information:

Exchange the following information: name, address, phone number, insurance company, policy number, driver license number and license plate number for the driver and the owner of each vehicle. Establish what the relationship is and take down the name and address for each individual if the driver’s name is different from the name of the insured. Make a written description of each car, including year, make, model and color — and the exact location of the collision and how it happened. Finally, be polite and be patient.

Document the Crash:

Use your camera to document the damage to all the vehicles. Keep in mind that you want your photos to show the overall context of the crash. Get the contact information of any witnesses to the event. Have your driver’s license and proof of insurance ready for the police officer that responds. Crash reports also require the identifying information for all occupants of each vehicle involved in a crash. Have the passenger’s information like identification cards and seat positions ready for the police officer that reports the crash. Let the emergency responders know of any preference of a tow service needed as soon as practical; otherwise, the police officer will request a wrecker from a rotation list.

Auto accidents take a tremendous toll on everyone involved, both financially and emotionally. If you’re one of the lucky ones who have thus far avoided a serious accident, hopefully the tips on prevention will help keep it that way. The chances are high, though; that at some point you will be involved in a minor accident. Just keep your head and make safety your primary concern.

Community Outreach, Traffic Safety Division

Move Over Public Service Announcement (click link for video)

When you see emergency workers on the side of the road, move over. If you can’t move over, slow down.

Deaths and injuries prompted Texas to enact the move over law in 2003.

When you see lights, when you see vests, slow down and move over.

Texas Transportation Code 545.157 defines the requirements of the Texas Move Over Act. It requires that drivers vacate the lane adjacent to a stopped, authorized emergency vehicle that has its emergency lights on, or slow down to 20 miles per hour below the posted speed limit when the posted speed limit is at or above 25 miles per hour (or slow to 5 mph when
the posted speed is less than 25 mph).

Community Outreach, Traffic Safety Division

What to expect in traffic enforcement (click link)

What the public should do if police initiate a traffic stop:

1. When You See the Police Car

Pull over to the right safely and quickly if a police car is behind you with its emergency lights flashing. Use your turn signal to indicate any lane changes from left to right, and slow down fairly quickly, but not so quickly that the officer will have to brake to avoid hitting you. Pull over as far to the right as possible so that, when the officer comes up to your widow, he or she will worry less about passing traffic.

The best practice is to pull into a parking lot where there is no passing traffic. Once stopped, the best practice is to put the vehicle in park and turn on the interior light if it is dark. It is best to place both hands on the steering wheel so that the officer can see them. It is best to search for documents like proof of insurance and driver’s license after requested by the officer. Stay in the vehicle unless instructed to exit by the police officer.

What does the officer do while I wait?

The officer activates the emergency lights and notifies the dispatch personnel of the traffic stop. The officer provides the location of the stop, the license plate characters of the vehicle, and a description of the vehicle stopped. The officer requests the registration information from the car which is information if the vehicle has been reported stolen, the expiration date of the registration, the registered owner’s information, and the vehicle description.

The officer will approach your vehicle while looking for signs of anything that might indicate criminal activity or a threat to the officer or citizen safety. Criminals are located and arrested during simple traffic stops every day.

The officer will discuss the violation with you and request your driver’s license and proof of insurance. The officer will return to the patrol car to check the status of the license and to check for any warrants for arrest. The officer must document information as to the ethnicity and gender of the operator of the vehicle stopped, the reason for the stop, if an arrest was affected during the stop, if a search was conducted, and if a citation was issued. The officer must then complete any citation or warning before returning to your car. Please be patient, this may take a few minutes.

The officer will explain the citation and return your documents to you. The officer may ask you to sign a citation. Your signature only indicates that you received the citation, not that you agree with it. When the officer is finished with the traffic stop, he or she will tell you that you may go. You should carefully pull back out into traffic.

What if I have a gun in my car?

It is much safer for you and the officer if you tell the officer about the weapon immediately, then follow the officer’s directions. Don’t reach toward it.

What if I didn’t do it?

The time to argue about your guilt or innocence is in court. Instructions on how to plead guilty or not guilty are printed on the citation.

Community Outreach, Delta District, Patrol Division

The Patrol Officers Day Starts With Roll Call

The Shift gathers for roll call

What is roll call?

The Corpus Christi Police Officers begin their work day in a classroom setting. The shift supervisor, a Lieutenant by grade, takes attendance and conducts uniform and equipment inspections. The Lieutenant then provides the group of 8-12 patrol officers with a briefing.

What is briefing?

There are several types of briefings which are: Information; Decision; Mission; and Staff. The briefing provided to the patrol officers at roll call is typically an information brief. Information briefs present primarily facts to the audience and does not seek decisions, it does not include recommendations, and it does not provide conclusions. The purpose of the briefing is to transfer high priority information to an audience that requires immediate attention. The briefing may explain complicated information to provide clarity and to remove confusion.

The information provided to the patrol officers is recent and significant. It may be information about weather conditions, recent crime trends, neighborhood problems that have surfaced, traffic obstructions like street closures, approaching crowded events, safety concerns, or a variety of other information.

Training opportunities also rise in the time for briefing. Lieutenants use the computer and technology to show videos from police events around the world which provide a venue of consideration for how the individual officers may respond to situations recorded on video. Many shifts listened to the police radio broadcasts of the Colorado theater massacre recently to have conversation about the most effective method for transmitting information over the radio in an active shooter situation.

The roll call usually takes 30 minutes and concludes with issuance of patrol car keys, beat assignments, and special instructions provided to the individual patrol officers. Officer Paddock and Officer Martinez are assigned to the beat known as D360.

Community Outreach, Delta District, Patrol Division

Corpus Christi Police Host Virtual Ride-A-Long

The public will be able to do a virtual ride-a-long from the comfort of home Wednesday, August 8, 2012 with the Corpus Christi Police Department from 5:30pm until 12:30am.

The Corpus Christi Police Department will show the photographs and announce the activity on Twitter as it happens. Anyone interested to experience the virtual ride-a-long with the Corpus Christi Police can follow the activity on Twitter @CorpusChristiPD. The Twitter message will begin at 5:30pm when the shift roll call happens, then document the officer’s activity through the entire shift.

The purpose of the event is to provide the public an example of the work day for a typical Corpus Christi Police Patrol Officer. This is the first such event the Corpus Christi Police Department has hosted. Followers on Twitter will be able to ask questions as the virtual ride-a-long happens.

The virtual ride-a-long will be with Corpus Christi Police Officer Trenade Paddock and the officer she trains from the 70th Police Academy Class, Officer Phillip Martinez, as they patrol the Delta District Wednesday night.

Visit the Corpus Christi Police Department twitter account and “follow” CorpusChristiPD to experience and participate in the first virtual ride-a-long with the Corpus Christi Police Department.

Officer Paddock is a single mother of 5 children that joined the Corpus Christi Police Department in 2009. Officer Paddock is currently enrolled at Texas A&M to complete her Master’s Degree in Counseling by next summer. Officer Paddock grew up in Bedford, Indiana and joined the Navy directly out of High School. Officer Paddock taught Physical Education in California for 8 years before returning to Indiana for 3 years to work in a hospital as a medical assistant. Officer Paddock moved to Corpus Christi 5 years ago and worked 2 years as part of Project Turnaround for the Coastal Bend AIDS Foundation. Officer Paddock was selected to serve on the Corpus Christi Police Honor Guard and is now assigned as a Field Training Officer for the 70th Police Academy Session.
Community Outreach

Corpus Christi Law Enforcement Tournament Raises Money For Charity

The Corpus Christi Law Enforcement Fishing Tournament held August 3 & 4 at Marker 37 will provide cash prizes for the heaviest trout, redfish, and black drum harvested on the day of the tournament.

The tournament meet and greet is scheduled for August 3, 2012 at 5pm and will have live music, a silent auction, door prizes, food and drinks. The tournament will be August 4 from 6am until 3:30pm and cost $75 for a late entry fee or $10 per person to enjoy the event without fishing.

The CCLEFT is an IRS recognized 501 c (3) organization. The tournament has two main goals: an entertaining weekend for Public Safety personnel & their supporters and fund-raising for local non-profits with an emphasis on crime reduction and youth.

Over the years, CCLEFT has given over $40,000 to numerous local charities including, The Fraternal Order of Police “Shop with a Cop” program, The Corpus Christi Police Officers Association “St. Michaels Fund”, Police Athletic League and The Corpus Christi Police Law Enforcement Fishing Tournament Scholarship Fund at Del Mar College. So round-up your friends and family and bring them out to Marker 37 on August 3rd & 4th to help raise money and have a great time while doing it!

Corpus Christi Police Officer John Little organized the annual Corpus Christi Law Enforcement Fishing Tournament
Community Outreach

Neighborhood Parking Initiative to Begin Enforcement on August 1st

Wednesday, August 1st, the Corpus Christi Police Department will begin Phase III, the Enforcement Phase of the Neighborhood Parking Initiative. Over the six-week period covering Phase I (Information & Education Period) & II (Warning Period), CCPD utilized the various news and social networking media to deliver education information and issued over 22,000 Warning Notices, covering every street in the city limits, most several times. 

This third phase launches Wednesday using the individual District Beat Patrol Officers, Directed Patrol Officers and Parking Enforcement Officers. All four Police Districts will be strategically addressed this first day and thereafter individual Beat Patrol Officers will continue to cover their assigned beats as part of their routine patrols, while Parking Enforcement Officers will work a rotating schedule to equally cover enforcement across the city. 

This will be the first time CCPD Parking Enforcement Officers will utilize electronic ticket writers to issue criminal based citations.  This also allows for citations to be electronically downloaded daily into the court software system at Municipal Court simplifying and expediting court processing to under 24 hours from time of issue.

Community Outreach, Delta District

Do You Need a Car to go “Back to School?” CCPD to Auction 87 Vehicles on Saturday

The C.C.P.D.’s commitment to “Keep Corpus Christi Safe” has continued with its
“Zero Tolerance No Insurance Initiative”

On Saturday, August 4, 2012, a total of 87 cars, trucks, and motorcycles will be auctioned at the Corpus Christi Police Department new Vehicle Impound Lot located at 5485 Greenwood Drive during our monthly auction. The new site has four paved acres for an auction lot. 

Approximately 20 of these vehicles are “No Insurance” impounds. On Friday, August 3, 2012, the general public will be allowed to register and view the vehicles to be auctioned from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. There is no registration fee.

On the day of the auction, the general public can continue to register and view the vehicles from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. The auction will commence promptly at 10:00 a.m. on August 4, 2012.   The vehicles to be auctioned can be viewed at www.siskauction.com. An auction list may also be downloaded from the same website.

The department’s strong stand and enforcement of this “Zero Tolerance No Insurance Initiative” will continue and all vehicles involved in accidents will be impounded and the driver cited if they are unable to provide financial proof of insurance. Driver’s license and proof of financial responsibility checkpoints will continue to be conducted at the Shift Captains’ authorization.

Officers issued 5,509 citations and impounded 1,212 vehicles for Failure to Maintain Financial Responsibility during 2011. During July 2012, Officers issued 397 citations for Failure to Maintain Financial Responsibility and impounded 94 vehicles for the same charge.