With the holiday shopping season winding down, the coming week will be one of the busiest times of the year at stores. However with so many purchases, there’s also a higher risk for crime.
Captain Patrick McMenamy, with the Corpus Christi Police Department, says as shoppers get into the holiday spirit, the police department is making sure their purchases don’t get stolen.
“The police are around and the police are watching,” said Captain McMenamy.
Captain McMenamy says there’s always an increase in crime around the holidays. Some of the most common crimes are auto-burglaries.
“People are out shopping, [and] they’re leaving items in their vehicles,” said Captain McMenamy.
But thanks to the help of a tool called a Sky Watch Tower, CCPD are cracking down on auto-burglary crimes from below and from above.
With the Sky Watch Tower, CCPD has the ability to monitor the area with a 360-degree view from 30 feet in the air. Officers can access the Sky Watch Tower by stepping inside, or remotely accessing its three cameras from a different location.
The Sky Watch Tower can also be transported to different locations in the city, allowing officers to have a better chance to spot thieves.
“We’re out to try and deter auto-burglars,” said Captain McMenamy.
Tracey Bock, a Corpus Christi resident, says he wishes there had been a Sky Watch Tower around when his vehicle was recently broken into.
“People spend their hard-earned money on things and for it to get taken away like that, it’s pretty messed up,” said Bock.
Police say you can protect your valuables by simply just leaving them at home instead of carrying them around from store to store. If you have to carry them in your vehicle, put them in the truck or cover them up so they don’t attract attention.
