Our call volume was up last week, we responded to 64 calls for service. Only 28 traffic stops, 25 of those were citations and 3 were warnings.
We had 3 property crimes reported last week: #1 – Damage to the restroom at John Lott Park. An unknown person pulled a partition off the wall. I am not sure why all of the sudden the men’s room is under attack over there. #2 – A 2002 Ford F-250 was stolen from the parking lot of the First Baptist Church. The driver had parked it there and then walked across the street to attend Lytle High School. This theft occurred during the day on Friday. #3 – A Laney’s Catch resident reported that someone entered their unlocked vehicle, went through the contents, and made off with a garage door opener.
Officers had 3 arrests last week: #1 – Officers received a report of an intoxicated male on Main St. “punching” his vehicle. He was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail on a charge of public intoxication. I guess his vehicle didn’t want to press charges for assault. #2 – Ofc. S. Pena received a report of a reckless driver on IH-35, the vehicle happened to exit into Lytle. Pena observed the white marked Taxi and after developing probable cause he conducted a stop. The driver was found to be intoxicated and was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail. Luckily, there were no passengers on board and hopefully he wasn’t coming to Lytle to pick up a fair. I remember a few taxi rides in Las Vegas back in the 90s and they all would have fit the description of reckless driving. #3 – Ofc. S. Pena – A traffic stop in the Coalmine area resulted in a female being arrested for possession of black tar heroin and meth. She was booked into the Medina Co. Jail in Hondo.
Last Thursday we assisted with two separate groups of trail riders that passed through town. Heaven is paved with streets of gold, and I know that some of our streets were paved with another substance after all those horses visited.
We still don’t have an updated period for our IH-35 Access Road Construction Project. It was set to begin in January and then maybe mid-February. Like everything these days, the supply chain and adequate workers has delayed the contractor. As soon as we know more, we will push out that info. Those temporary one-way access roads will really switch things up for us. I am already developing anxiety thinking I might go the wrong way.
Here is a shout out to Jean DeMaw up in Connecticut. A family member from here forwards my weekly report to her. She is 93 and in an assisted living and I guess they enjoy our small-town happenings. It’s darn cold up there right now.
We are still having problems with vandalism at the John Lott Park. I have instituted foot patrols of the park for each shift, but we still need your help. Please report suspicious activity to the Atascosa Co. Sheriff’s Office Dispatcher (830-769-3434, Option #1). They have direct radio contact with the on-duty officers. Together we can “take a bite out of crime,” it’s a little 80s but still catchy.