The Corpus Christi Police Department are hosting a Citizen’s Police Academy that begins February 26, 2013 and meets every Tuesday Evening from 6:30pm until 9:30pm at the Police Training Center located at 4510 Corona Drive. This will be the 41st Session of the Citizen’s Police Academy hosted by the Corpus Christi Police Department.

The Citizen’s Police Academy (C.P.A.) is a partnership with the citizens of Corpus Christi and the Corpus Christi Police Department. The benefits of such a partnership can only help strengthen the entire community in public safety and quality of life.

A police agency cannot be effective without the trust of its citizens. The Citizen Police Academy program builds that trust. Through education, it provides a bridge between the officer in the car and the citizens in the field. Citizens will gain an appreciation of the problems and challenges facing law enforcement and have an opportunity to offer comments and ideas regarding solutions. Those citizens then become the police department’s “goodwill ambassadors” throughout the community.

As a result graduates are better equipped to assess safety issues, and share with others their knowledge of law enforcement practices and policies.

There are several hands-on exercises and, at the end of the program, you will participate in role play exercises and make decisions as a police officer would. You will also be signed up for a 4-hour “Tour of Duty” and ride with an officer to see first-hand what happens on the street.

Contributed by Charlie Cardenas, P.E., Traffic Engineering  

Chaparral Street and Schatzell Street Intersection

Monday – Friday

Schatzell Street:  From Shoreline Boulevard, Schatzell Street westbound traffic will be detoured onto Water Street.  In addition, Schatzell Street will close to through traffic between Water Street and Mesquite Street.  Parking will be permitted on this section of Schatzell Street.

Chaparral Street:  Chaparral Street will become a two-way between Lawrence Street and Schatzell Street where parking will be allowed on this section of Chaparral Street.  Motorists need to be aware of vehicles entering and exiting this section of Chaparral Street at the Lawrence Street intersection.

McBride Lane (Between Leopard Street and IH-37 Eastbound Frontage Road)

Monday – Friday

Construction is temporarily suspended and all streets are open to through traffic.

Kostoryz Road

Saturday – Friday

Contractors will work on Kostoryz Road between South Padre Island Drive (S.P.I.D.) and Mansheim Boulevard.  During this period, there will be various lane shifts and traffic will be reduced to one through lane in each direction.  Upon completion, traffic between S.P.I.D and Gollihar Road will be shifted onto the northbound lanes and reduced to one through lane in each direction.

In addition, traffic on eastbound McArdle Road will be shifted to the westbound lane where traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction through the Kostoryz Road intersection.

New – Staples Street (Williams Street to Saratoga Boulevard)

Saturday – Friday

Holly Road:

Until further notice, left turns are restricted on Holly Road from northbound Staples Street. Southbound Staples Street drivers on cannot turn left onto Holly Road and right turns will be restricted when the traffic signal is on red.  There are no turning restrictions for westbound and eastbound drivers on Holly Road onto Staples Street but no left turns are allowed from northbound Staples Street at Williams Drive.

Wooldridge Road:  The Wooldridge Road traffic through the Staples Street intersection will be shifted onto the westbound lanes and reduced to one through lane in each direction.  There are no left turns from both northbound and southbound Staples Street onto Wooldridge Road.

Staples Street:  Contractors will shift the southbound Staples Street traffic onto the northbound lane reducing traffic to one through lane in each direction from the Moore Plaza entrance through the Williams Drive intersection.  Southbound drivers will have dedicated right turn while northbound drivers will have a dedicated right turn lane at Williams Drive, but no left turns are permitted.

On Staples Street, from Woodridge Road to north of Holly Road, there are two lanes of traffic open in each direction.  Staples Street traffic, between Cain Drive and Bonner Drive, will be shifted onto the northbound lanes and traffic reduced to one through lane in each direction.

Bonner Drive, Cain Drive, or Curtis Clark Drive:  Cain Drive, Bonner Drive, or Curtis Clark Drive may be periodically closed at the Staples Street intersection.  Motorists will be detoured onto Burton Lane.  In addition, when one street is closed, the other may be reduced to one lane with flaggers to direct traffic.  Once work is completed, each street will be closed for 10 days to pour concrete and allow the pavement to cure.