Adam District, Patrol Division, Traffic Safety Division

Corpus Christi Participates In Mock Contraflow Exercise

The Corpus Christi Police Department will participate with the Texas Department of Public Safety in an exercise Thursday to practice the state Contraflow hurricane evacuation plan along Interstate 37 between Corpus Christi and San Antonio.

The Texas Department of Transportation has partnered with the law enforcement agencies to conduct a mock Contraflow exercise to prepare for hurricane season. The Contraflow plan is that southbound lanes of Interstate Highway 37 would be reversed to carry two lanes of traffic northbound from Corpus Christi to San Antonio to help move people from Corpus Christi to San Antonio out of harm’s way during a large scale evacuation.

Transportation and law enforcement agencies will stage barricades for the mock exercise at the entrance and exit ramps along Interstate 37 in Nueces, San Patricio, Live Oak, Atascosa, and Bexar counties. The exercise is expected to begin at 8:00am and end around noon. Texas Department of Public Safety troopers will drive south to perform mock flushing of southbound traffic to clear Interstate 37 for contraflow traffic. Law enforcement is assigned to direct motorists to keep traffic flow moving. TxDOT and D.P.S. do not anticipate any disruption of traffic during the exercise.

All participants will meet at the TxDOT Corpus Christi District Office Thursday afternoon for a post-exercise review.

Contraflow will be considered only when the Corpus Christi area is threatened by a major hurricane and mandatory evacuations are issued. A decision to reverse I-37 will be made by local authorities working with the District Disaster Chairman (i.e., DPS) based on the strength of the storm and projected landfall.

The 2012 hurricane season will begin June 1 and extends to November 30. The public may view the contraflow brochures on the Texas Department of Transportation website at www.txdot.gov.

Criminal Intelligence Unit, Delta District

Man Charged with Murder after TV Confession

Arrested on 5/15/12, 11:04 pm  Murder Warrant 3200 Houston Street   1205130064 

CCPD Homicide Robbery Detectives were able to obtain an arrest warrant for Dennis Longbine (09/26/55) on May 15, 2012 after Longbine was implicated in the May 13, 2012 murder of his daughter’s 30-year-old boyfriend.  Longbine’s daughter Chasity Longbine had been arrested and charged with Murder shortly after the death of  her boyfriend.

Dennis Longbine was arrested May 15th, after he was pulled over in the 3200 block of Houston Street.  He was taken to the police department to be interviewed and then booked.  Longbine was charged with the outstanding Murder warrant, $250,000 Bond.

Bravo District, Patrol Division

Patrol Officer Swims To Save Kayaker In Distress

Occurred Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 11:20 am, Open Water Rescue Event #1205019456

A 20 year old man was rescued at the beach Tuesday by Corpus Christi Police Officer John Shultz.

A 20 year old man went out in the water on a kayak and was knocked off the kayak by a wave. The 20 year old man was unable to get back into the kayak. The man’s brother was on shore at Beach Marker 99 near access road 2 and called for help.

Patrol Officer John Shultz put on his life vest and entered the water to provide help. Officer Shultz said the 20 year old man was fatigued and unable to get on the kayak without help. Officer Shultz said he held the kayak stable while the man got on the kayak. Officer Shultz said he held on to the kayak while the man paddled them both to shore. Officer Shultz and the man made it back to shore at about 12:07pm.

Bravo District, Criminal Investigations Division

Daycare Auto Burglar Sought

Occurred on 5/15/12, 7:43 am    Burglary of a Vehicle  1317 Flour Bluff Drive   1205150023
Occurred on 5/15/12,  8:03am    Burglary of a Vehicle  1354 Rodd Field Road   1205150030

Two Mothers morning trip to drop off their children at daycare found their purses stolen from their vehicles.  Both women told Officers they left their vehicles unlocked and their purses inside their vehicles along with their purses. 

The auto burglaries occurred within 20 minutes of one another, but it is unknown at this time whether they are related. The first auto burglary occurred at the Lord of Lutheran Church Day Care Center, 1317 Flour Bluff Drive.  Two purses were taken along with several credit cards and some money.  The second auto burglary occurred at the Kinder Care Day Care Center, 1354 Rodd Field Road.  One purse was taken in this burglary which had the victim’s personal documents and a couple of bracelets.  Anyone with any information on this crime is encouraged to call Crimes Stoppers at 888-TIPS or you can also submit a tip online, visit the www.TipSubmit.com website to submit a secure e-mail tip.  The information provided could earn the caller a cash reward. 

A vehicle is burglarized in Texas every 2 ½ minutes.  The Corpus Christ Auto Theft Task Force and the Texas Auto Burglary & Theft Prevention Authority feel the best way to keep thieves from stealing items from your car is to leave it in the same condition as when it rolled off the factory floor:  nothing inside except the parts that comprise it.  This includes laptops, GPS systems, satellite radios, gym bags, address books, and purses and wallets that contain credit cards, checkbooks, and money.   Following are a few of the more important prevention tips to keep in mind:

  • If you must leave belongings, hide them from sight.
  • Never park in unattended or poorly lit parking lots.
  • Do not keep your vehicle registration in your car.
  • Do not carry vehicle insurance documents or personal papers in your glove box.
  • Do not leave outgoing or incoming mail in your car, especially where visible.
  • Avoid leaving the garage door opener in your car.
  • Never leave your vehicle or house keys in your car.
  • Beware of suspicious persons, call police.
  • Never leave your vehicle unlocked.

Avoid becoming a victim by following these crime prevention tips, remember to Hide, Lock, and Take.  For more prevention tips and information, please contact PaulKay Olivarez, Auto Theft Task Force Public Awareness Coordinator at 361-886-2872.

Community Outreach

CCPD Traffic Enforcement Initiative Seeks to Reduce Accidents, Save Lives

If you think you’ve seen an increase in traffic enforcement on the city’s major thoroughfares in the past weeks, your eyes are not deceiving you.  Corpus Christi Police Department Traffic Officers are focusing traffic enforcement in those areas where speeding and other traffic violations have resulted in rising crash numbers.

Following the same Comp Stat philosophy that attempts to identify increased crime trends and patterns and then directs officers to those neighborhoods; the increased traffic enforcement initiative is directing traffic officers to those areas of the city where officers have identified an increased number of accidents, multiple complaints from the public, or just obvious visual evidence of speeding, such as the freeway system.

Newly appointed Chief Simpson became alarmed at the high number of speeders and traffic fatalities soon after taking over.  Just driving around town to familiarize himself with the city, Chief Simpson noticed a high number of drivers obviously exceeding the speed limit, tailgating other drivers, changing lanes without signaling and committing other dangerous traffic infractions-the type of infractions that frequently lead to crashes.  Simpson noted that the 35 traffic fatalities last year far exceeded the city’s total number of homicides.

Crash statistics from the first three months of this year support Chief Simpson’s position.  Compared to the same three-month time period, total crashes are up approximately 7%, from 2224 in 2011 to 2378 in 2012.  Although alcohol related crashes are down 14% from the same time period last year, the percentage of alcohol related traffic fatalities is currently at 37%, up from 29% last year.  DWI arrests, however, show a 15% decrease since last year, from 318 to 270.

Based on these numbers and his own anecdotal evidence, Chief Simpson directed his Traffic Division to come up with a plan to bring the numbers down.  The increased traffic enforcement initiative includes several tactics, including enlisting the assistance of patrol officers to conduct traffic enforcement on their beats for short periods, increased radar enforcement on the freeways during rush hours, and the use of “decoy” cars to slow traffic.  Officers will continue to change tactics to nab speeders until the crash and fatality numbers begin to show a significant, long-term decline.

This is only the beginning of a long-term sustained plan to reduce the number of traffic fatalities and crashes on our city’s streets. Traffic and Patrol Officers have been directed to take a “zero tolerance” approach to speeders and motorists committing moving violations.  The best way to avoid being cited is to simply slow down, watch the speed limit and obey all traffic laws.  The Corpus Christi Police Department reminds you to “Slow Down. The life you save may be your own.”

Bravo District, Criminal Intelligence Unit

Macy’s Targeted by Shoplifter, Call 888-TIPS If You Know This Man

The Corpus Christi Police Department Property Crimes Unit is asking your assistance in identifying the suspect involved in the theft of a couple of thousand dollars worth of “Miss Me” Blue Jeans and “Miss Me” shorts. 

The suspect is described as 40 to 50 year-old man, possibly a Hispanic male, 5’10 to 6′ feet tall, and weighing 200 to 220 lbs.  He was last seen wearing a blue long sleeve-sleeved shirt, blue jeans, and white tennis shoes.

Anyone with any information on this crime is encouraged to call Crimes Stoppers at 888-TIPS or you can also submit a tip online, visit the www.TipSubmit.com website to submit a secure e-mail tip.  The information provided could earn the caller a cash reward.

Delta District

Pay Up or Get Booted

CCPD Increases Collection Efforts of Parking Citations

Today the Parking Control unit of the Corpus Christi Police Department will launch a parking citation round-up of unpaid parking citations.  Parking Enforcement Officers will begin ‘booting’ vehicles with outstanding parking citations that have accumulated 3 or more parking citations that remain unpaid.

The front wheel of the vehicle will be fitted with a mechanical clamping device known as a Denver Boot, which secures the wheel making the vehicle un-drivable until removed. The device will remain in place until the vehicles owner pays all outstanding unpaid parking citations to any vehicles registered to that owner and an applicable boot and/or tow fee.

Beginning January 1 of this year any new parking citations became civil violations versus criminal violations. In just 3 ½ months 31 vehicles already surpassed the 3 citation mark, with some having up to 10 unpaid citations. Under the criminal parking citations’ falling under Municipal Court the ‘boot-list’ has 475 vehicles with over $2.6 million owed to the city since 2004. Even though all of those on the list had received notification of the intent to boot very few responded. 

The Office of Administrative Hearings which now adjudicates civil parking citations was launched in January with a real-time automated software system by Duncan Solutions that updates daily. The OOAH has seen the percentage of paid citations triple over the last 4 months with the multiple payment options and the ease of paying. However the same vehicle owners who ignored the citations under Municipal Court have continued to ignore citations under the civil system. Four of the first 31 vehicle owners on the new boot list cleared their citations after notification. 24 of the 27 remaining vehicle owners have citations under both systems with one person having over 88 tickets for almost $3000 in outstanding citations and several vehicle owners owing between $500 and $1000.  Seeing vehicles on the list with 20, 40 or 60 citations is not uncommon. 

Parking Control reports most of the unpaid tickets belong to individuals who own vehicles valued at $30,000 or more and have failed to pay their citations. Most vehicle owners have been issued at least three and upto eighty-eight citations.  According to Marc Denson, “less than 2% of the population owes $3 millions and that’s unfair to the other 98% who either abide by the parking regulations or pahy their citations.”

Prior to January of this year the city would send notices to those placed on the boot-list. Under the new system the city sends a notice for every unpaid citation on the 15th day and both a certified and first class notice when qualified to boot. Some of the names on the new list have received 12 letters in 4 months and still ignored them. CCPD and Municipal Court are working together moves to more effective collection practices that can’t be ignored and have proven effective in other cities.

Those with outstanding unpaid parking citations prior to January of this year are encouraged to contact Municipal Court and those with outstanding unpaid parking citations since January to contact the Office of Administrative Hearings to make arrangements to clear up those citations before they are booted or towed.   Booting adds $75 to the fines and towing if the vehicle is not redeemed by paying all outstanding citations by 4:00 pm the day the vehicle is booted adds another $153.

Delta District

Man Sleeping In His Car Stabbed

Occurred on 5/15/12, 4:40 a.m.  Aggravated Assault   2402 Segrest Street   1205150017 

Officers responding to an early morning call for service found a 50-year-old man bleeding on the front porch of his residence.  The man told Officers he was sleeping in his car when the suspect tried to burglarize his vehicle and stabbed him.  The victim was taken to Spohn Memorial with a stab wound to the chest. The victim’s girlfriend told Officers, he normally sleeps in the car which is inoperable when he drinks.  

The suspect is described as a thin Hispanic male, 25 to 35 years of age, with a shaved head.  Anyone with any information on this crime is encouraged to call Crimes Stoppers at 888-TIPS or you can also submit a tip online, visit the www.TipSubmit.com website to submit a secure e-mail tip.  The information provided could earn the caller a cash reward.

Delta District

CCPD Offers Tips for Choosing Safe Storage Unit

Corpus Christi residents have experienced an almost 25% increase in building burglaries during the first five months of 2012. While analyzing these crimes, Corpus Christi Police Department burglary Detectives have identified several significant trends.

Storage units have accounted for a large number of these burglaries. The Corpus Christi Police Department recommends you ask the following questions if you currently rent a storage unit, or are considering storing your items in a storage facility:

  1. Does the facility have controlled access and video surveillance?
  2. Does the facility secure units that are not currently rented?
  3. Most importantly, do the units have gaps that allow thieves access from the outside, or from inside the storage unit to yours.

Remember to utilize a high security lock and check your unit often. Secure serial numbers to valuable items in a safe place other than the unit. Prospective renters can go to www.crimereports.com to see crime statistics for any location.

Outside storage sheds at homes and businesses are also frequently targeted. Make sure outside sheds are secured with a lock. Have serial numbers for mowers, weed eaters, blowers, etc. Permanently mark all items, especially tools, with some identifying mark unique to you. Tools are a frequent target of Burglars/Thieves.

By following these simple tips, residents can do their part to keep their valuables secure and help Keep Corpus Christi Safe.

Keep CC Safe logo

Charlie District, Patrol Division

Man Arrested For Leaving 65 Year Old Woman Padlocked In A House

Occurred Sunday, May 13, 2012, 8:40am 4641 Abner, Unlawful Restraint 1205130051

A 64-year-old man was arrested Sunday after he locked a 65-year-old woman recovering from surgery inside her home which did not allow the woman to leave or anyone else to enter.

A 41-year-old woman went to the 65-year-old woman’s house to give a Mother’s Day blessing. The 41-year-old woman called Corpus Christi Police when the 65-year-old woman was found on the floor behind a door with a padlock on the exterior of the door.

Police called for an ambulance and 64-year-old Robert Peters (12/23/1947) arrived to unlock the padlock and provide access to the 65-year-old woman. The woman was taken by ambulance to the hospital for treatment.

Peters was arrested for Unlawful Restraint-Exposing a Person to Serious Bodily Injury, a 3rd degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.

Anyone interested to research reported crime in Corpus Christi is encouraged to search Crimereports.com for valuable information. The site is updated daily and includes an option to communicate with police about criminal activity.

Corpus Christi Police Daily Blotter