CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — As shoppers begin to buckle down on their Christmas list's the need for safety begins to arise around this time of year.
Beginning on Thanksgiving Corpus Christi Police Department will increase patrol in high traffic areas around town. This is intended to help reduce crime, specifically car thefts while holiday shopping.
As part of CCPD's holiday initiative shoppers can expect to see more law enforcement taking to the streets. According to CCPD Captain Tim Frazier with the traffic sector, Coastal Bend roads and shopping centers tend to see increased traffic around the holidays.
"We are going to have more traffic officers out enforcing traffic laws," Frazier said. "Making sure everybody is driving safe and keeping them from those people who don't want to be safe."
Shopping centers located on the southside of town such as Kohls, H-E-B Plus and Walmart on Saratoga are also on CCPD's radar this year.
"Basically we are adding additional officers on those sites to provide high visibility to deter crimes against persons and property," Frazier said.
Authorities remind residents to take their keys out of their vehicles and conceal their personal belongings that may be left behind to prevent theft.
"Our task force wants to see victim assisted auto crimes decrease," Frazier said.
The Texas Department of Public Safety reports an estimated 50-percent of auto crimes are victim assisted.
"Unfortunately Corpus Christi exceeds that threshold of 50-percent," Frazier said. "We are 54-percent right now with victim assisted cases we want to see that number go down."
Frazier said there will also be additional coverage from their sky watch sector which will provide additional surveillance over major shopping centers. CCPD's holiday initiative will begin Thanksgiving evening at 10 p.m. and run through New Years Day.
"We do hope everyone behaves," Frazier said. "And drives safely so we can have a nice safe and happy holiday."
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