CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Less than 12 hours on the job and new Robstown Police Department Chief Mike Tamez already has big plans for his new city.
"We are going to attack the drug problem on one end," he said. "I’m creating an OCU, organized-crime unit, to go after drugs; that is going to be their mission."
He also wants to get the community involved in cleaning up its city.
"At the same time, I’m going to be creating a community-oriented policing program,” he said.
Nueces County Pct. 5 Constable Oscar Mendoza is looking forward to working with Tamez as they’re looking to create a version of the criminal interdiction unit Tamez once ran, in Robstown.
"He has great ideas that he brings to the department and make a positive change," Mendoza said.
Mayor David "Petey" Martinez said this new chief has the full backing of council.
"He has got the full support from the Mayor and the Council," he said. "We told him to move, to run with it and that’s the reason he's the right choice for the city of Robstown."
Tamez said he’s not only promising to clean up Robstown's streets, but he’s also looking at replacing the city's very old police department building, which 3NEWS toured with him.
"I don’t think the infrastructure, itself, is sound -- especially for a professional police department, and that’s the direction I want to take the agency," he said. "I will talk to the mayor, and I do want to get with city council about looking at other spots around town and businesses that are unoccupied.”
Martinez said the city supports the idea of moving police headquarters to a more modern facility.
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