CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Multiple counties across the Coastal Bend have been meeting to discuss Operation Lone Star funding.
The grants that are available to four area counties give them more resources and overtime money for officers, to help deter crimes such as human smuggling.
Alice Police Chief Eden Garcia said that his department is in its second year of applying for Operation Lone Star funding, something he said is essential for getting crime under control in the area.
"The first year when we applied, we received $250,000, which went to overtime and helped us put boots on the ground," he said.
Garcia said that the grant funding has had a ripple effect on crime, helping to limit crimes before they even happen.
"At first, we were averaging 47 burglaries; now we're averaging 12," he said. "That's a big drop-off."
While the Alice sees some foot traffic when it comes to migrant passings, Garcia said that it isn't as bad as surrounding counties.
"You're not gonna go through Alice, you're gonna bypass it and go through the ranches and the communities, and that's why you have complaints of ranchers saying their gates are down," he said.
Duval County Investigator Roland Smithwick said that law enforcement's response to migrant smuggling has had to become more strategic as tactics evolve.
"Now they're going around us and taking county roads, but we know what county roads they're using," he said.
Smithwick said that despite using new routes to avoid law officials, his department is one step ahead of the game, thanks to support from programs such as Operation Lone Star.
Duval County is in its third year of applying for funds.
"At one point we would only have two troopers in Duval County and now we can have up to nine," he said.
3NEWS checked with Nueces County officials to see if they had any plans to apply for the same funding, but judge Connie Scott said the county isn't eligible for the grants.
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