It was a nice week with only 45 service calls. We had a good bit of traffic stops as we beefed up patrols for the Labor Day weekend. Officers conducted 107 traffic stops which resulted in 72 drivers being issued citations and 35 receiving warnings.
Looks like we had two property crimes reported last week, both were at H.E.B. Plus. We had a shoplifting arrest on Friday and a report of a vehicle being “keyed” on Saturday. That’s what we call a good week for reported property crimes.
Our arrests included the shoplifter at H.E.B. Plus; she tried to get away with $132 worth of stuff. It was a good variety of both food and items from the health and beauty section. She used the old “reusable bag with an old receipt” trick and exited through a closed register. It didn’t work and she went to jail. Look people H.E.B. has been around a good while, their staff and loss prevention people know all the tricks and what to look for. Other arrests included a warrant service on a domestic violence case we worked. We had the fellow make an appointment to turn himself in, he showed up on time and we arrested him and took him before the judge. We strive for good customer service; if you agree to turn yourself in we will not make you wait for hours like you are in some doctor’s office in San Antonio. Another arrest occurred when Ofc. Lopez cited and released one for drug paraphernalia off of a traffic stop.
I guess the most exciting incident this week occurred on Sunday morning. A vehicle went through a fence, hit a parked vehicle and then took off. Luckily our officers got the vehicle stopped. The driver was arrested for leaving the scene; both the driver and passenger were also charged with possession of meth as well as having synthetic urine. They admitted the synthetic urine was used so they could pass a drug test. I guess I would rather arrest someone with synthetic urine than the real stuff. Looks like they could use some help passing a driving test as well.
Our National Night Out event is less than a month away, mark your calendars for Tuesday, Oct. 1 from 6 PM – 8 PM at the Lytle Community Center.
This Saturday, Sept. 7, Mayor Pro-Tem Ruben Gonzalez will be at the Lytle City Hall from 10 AM – 2 PM. He will be collecting signatures of city residents for a petition to allow for an election in regards to allowing the sales of mixed drinks at restaurants.
We have finished our budget process and it looks like we are headed for final approval. The police department budget didn’t include any big-ticket items or major changes. I wanted to get a soft-serve ice cream machine for the break room, you know like the ones at Jason’s Deli. I opted not to push for that since I was told we most likely needed a treadmill more.