The Corpus Christi Police Department will be celebrating National Night Out on October 1, 2013 from 3:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. throughout the city.  Chief  Floyd Simpson and all command staff will be attending National Night Out events in your neighborhoods.   At 3:30 pm, we will be kicking off National Night Out at Sam’s Club located at 4949 Greenwood Drive. The community is invited to attend.  Please join us and meet our new Mounted Patrol Officers.

National Night Out is a unique crime and drug prevention event sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch. Neighborhood on Watch groups will join forces with thousands of other communities all over Texas to: heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support for and participate in local anti-crime programs, strengthen neighborhood spirit and police community partnerships, and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighbors are organized to fight crime through community awareness.

The following is a list of locations in which National Night Out events are being held in your neighborhoods:

Be a part of National Night Out and turn your lights on for Texas’s Night Out Against Crime!

The Corpus Christi Police Department would like to caution the community after two separate attempted sexual assaults occurred within 24 hours of one another.

On September 28, 2013 at 04:48am, a 19-year-old woman was assaulted in the 4200 block of Ocean as she exited her vehicle. The woman told Officers a man approached her and attempted to sexually assault her.  The woman fought off the suspect and pepper sprayed him. 

On September 29, 2013 at 4:58am, a second 19-year-old woman was leaving Cole Park when she was flagged down by a man in red pick-up truck.  He warned her there was something wrong with her vehicle.  The woman pulled over in the 2400 block of Alameda and exited her vehicle.  The man attacked the victim in an attempt to sexually assault her.  The woman also fought back using her keys to stab at him.  The man fled.

The suspect in the first attack is described as a Hispanic man, 30 to 40 years of age, standing 5’8” to 5’9” feet tall and weighing 240 to 280 lbs.  He was last seen wearing a navy blue shirt and shorts. 

The suspect in the second attack is described only as a heavyset Hispanic man in his 50’s.  He was driving a red pick-up.

Police believe there is a good possibility that both assaults were perpetrated by the same suspect and he is targeting young women who are out alone in the early morning hours.

The Police Department has asked Officers to be extra vigilant while patrolling the areas near Ocean Drive and throughout the city.

The Police Department recommends that all young women avoid dangerous situations and be aware of their surroundings.   Don’t walk or jog alone, invite a friend or two to accompany you.  Make sure your car is in good working order and keep your doors locked as you travel.  Keep your cell phone charged at all times.

If flagged down by a stranded motorist , don’t stop, but drive on and  notify the Police Department at 361-886-2600 when it is safe to do so.

But above all, trust your instincts.  If you feel a situation is unsafe, it is. 

If you would like additional safety information, please contact our Crime Prevention Advisor at 361-886-2568.

Anyone with any information on these crimes is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 888-TIPS or submit a tip online at www.888TIPS.com.  Tipsters will earn a cash reward if the suspect is arrested.

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The Corpus Christi Police Department announces the newly established Mounted Patrol Unit. Senior Officers Chris Lynch and Teresa Lucich graduated from Dallas Police Department’s Mounted Patrol Officer Training program on September 6, 2013. These Corpus Christi Police Officers and their horses successfully completed 7 weeks of intense mounted patrol training.  Only 30 percent of officers who begin the Dallas Mounted Training successfully complete it to its entirety.Officer Lynch rides Cody and Officer Lucich rides Lady; both are American Quarter Horses and are 15 hands high. The officers and horses trained in sweltering heat which made for long days of riding. The mounted patrol training included bareback riding, crowd control, apprehension techniques, firearms proficiency on horseback, as well as stress induced training directed at the horses with fiercely loud distraction such as firecrackers, smoke, and cracking whips. After six weeks of training, officers further demonstrated proficiency with one week of Field Training and Evaluation in downtown Dallas.

The Citizens in Support of CCPD are honored to support the Mounted Patrol Unit and believe it will enhance the Department’s mission to protect and serve the city of Corpus Christi.

Corpus Christi Animal Care Services – Vector, has recorded an increase in mosquitos due to the heavy rain. The hatching of mosquito larvae is more active during times of heavy rain. While the mosquito count has increased, there are no cases signs of West Nile virus at this time.

Vector is unable to spray during actual rain and must wait for clear skies. Weather permitting; Vector will be spraying the Botanical area, the Lakes area, and the King’s crossing area tonight starting at 8:00pm. Vector technicians are also looking to the upcoming cool front forecasted for Friday to move many of these mosquitos out of the area.

Animal Care Services would like to remind pet owners that mosquitos can also cause heartworms in pets. Heartworms are transmitted from animal to animal by mosquitoes that are infected with a specific parasite (Dirofilaria immitis.)  According to the SPCA, heartworms are easy to prevent with an inexpensive, chewable pill available with a vet’s prescription.  Please contact your local veterinarian to have your dog tested for heartworms and placed on heartworm preventative.

“As with all outdoor activity, Animal & Vector Services recommends that people take the proper precautions by wearing insect repellant when outdoors. We also recommend heartworm prevention for indoor and outdoor pets. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” ~Heather Hedrick, Animal Care Services hProgram Manager

Corpus Christi Police Chief Floyd Simpson and Corpus Christi Fire Chief Robert Rocha would like to extend an invitation to the community with a special invite to members of the police, fire, and EMS departments to attend our annual 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony honoring and celebrating the lives of those killed in the terrorist attacks.

On Wednesday, 9/11/2013, the Police Department, along with the Corpus Christi Fire Department, will co-host a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at Sherrill Park in the 100 block of South Shoreline and Kinney Street. The ceremony will commence promptly at 9:30 a.m. and will include the CCFD Pipe & Drum Corps and the CCPD Color Guard & Rifle Team. The featured speaker will be CCFD Captain Lee Rogers who, with a Task Force, assisted in the recovery in New York.