ROBSTOWN, Tx — Robstown’s police chief Mike Tamez, is pushing a new program — one he believes will serve as another way to help reduce crime in the community.
Tamez said one key approach is engagement between his officers and people who live in Robstown.
“We will focus on working with the community to prevent crime, and that comes in the form of community feedback, attending community events, setting up events at schools, and things like that,” Tamez said.
Dominick Vargas has been a police officer in Robstown for nearly three years, he said his main goal along with the department is to build a relationship with the community.
“My initial thought was this would be an outstanding program. It is something that is needed here,” Vargas said. “My goal is to get that trust with the community, to let them know we are out here; we are here to guide them, to get them the resources they need, but also gain their trust.”
The Community-Oriented Policing- Coordinator Program, or Cop-C, is a new program that comes with hopes of improving community relations with the citizens of Robstown.
“Just getting more involved with the community and bridging that gap with our law enforcement officers and the community to prevent crime,” Tamez said.
Tamez said the goal of the program is to battle the drug problem, clean up the city, and get help for those who need to get back on the right path, hoping to achieve this with the help of the community.
“That is something very important for some of these individuals here. They just need that extra little push, they need to make that first step to getting help, and that is what we are trying to do. We are trying to get them help and back on their feet,” Sergeant Arturo Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez is one of the two Cop-C officers who will mainly be focusing on this program by going out to the streets and finding what parts of the city need help.
Gonzalez said the dilapidated homes in the city are what can lead to more crime because drug addicts tend to go into abandoned homes.
Tamez said having foundations such as the Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation and the Purple Door, help tremendously with this program.
But having the help of citizens will be a huge addition as well.
“Having community members involved helps tremendously. It sends a message to our local criminals that there are people here that do not want you here, and we are going to fight crime until we clean this community up,” Tamez said.
Tamez said he encourages the community’s engagement with the new program because by doing so, it can help improve communication between his officers and the public.
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