POLICE PLAN TO FOCUS ON DRUGS DOWNTOWN

Other Crimes Often Can Be Traced To Narcotics, Sector Commander Brian Uhler
Says

The commander in charge of police in the city's downtown and northern area
will focus on combating drugs and the crimes that often grow from illegal
drugs.

Cmdr. Brian Uhler, who leads police in the area from the city's downtown
area and the city's northern area and northwest boundary, said police will
focus on hot spots that are known for drug activity.

Officers are going after drug dealing and use because they often fuel other
crimes, such as prostitution, robbery and burglaries, Uhler said.

"It's still early, but much of our efforts are going to be concentrated on
the drug problem in the northside and westside," he said.

"It's been our experience that the prostitutes never conduct their business
too far from the source of their drugs."

Although police have identified drug use and drug dealing as the most
pressing issue in that area, Uhler said he wants to hear what the area's
residents want police to address.

"The Police Department is here to support and carry out the desires of the
community we serve," he said.

"Maybe I'm missing the point here and I want to make sure and talk to people."

'A very positive concept'

Uhler's plan is what Police Chief Pete Alvarez said he had in mind when he
decentralized the Corpus Christi Police Department's patrol division about
two months ago.

Alvarez said he wants the commanders to develop strategies to reduce the
city's crime rate, which this year is showing a marked increase.

"They're grasping on to the concept and it's a very positive concept that
involves everyone," Alvarez said. "It's healthy and I think it's working well."

Alvarez separated the patrol division into two geographical sectors with a
commander overseeing about 100 officers in each and a third commander
supervising 78 officers in the Special Operations Section.

Different Areas, Strategies

The second sector, overseen by Cmdr. David Torres, includes the city's
central area and southern area, as well as Flour Bluff and Padre Island.

The Special Operations Section, led by Cmdr. Jesse Garcia, includes the
Juvenile Enforcement Team, Directed Patrol, traffic, bike patrol and the
mopeds.

Previously, one commander was in charge of nearly 250 patrol officers.

Alvarez said he also liked that the sector commanders were taking different
approaches. While Uhler's plan is concentrated and focused on drug use and
dealing, Torres' tactics include plans to reduce robberies and to tame
aggressive drivers. These have been divided among himself and his three
captains.

Uhler said some of the places his officers identified as drug hot spots
included homes in the 1000 block of Park Avenue, 1300 block of Sam Rankin
Street and 200 block of Clemmer Street. Part of the effort to combat the
street level drug dealing will involve more frequent patrols of the area
and coordination with other divisions of the Police Department, Uhler said.

"The idea is to concentrate the department's resources in those areas that
give us the most likely chance of positive results," he said.