Council honors five with BC Police Department

Bridge City Police Chief Paul T. Davis recognized five members of the Bridge City Police Department for outstanding service in apprehending the perpetrators of a recent robbery. The robbery occurred at the Express Mart located at 1745 Texas Avenue at approximately 1:30 a.m. on February 9, 2012.

Newly hired Dispatcher Kirk, “T.K.”, Smith and his training officer, Dispatcher Mariah Ray, received the call from the store clerk that stated she had just been robbed. They then promptly radioed the information to the patrol officers. Officer Jesse Byrd noticed a car fitting the description of the suspect’s car and made a traffic stop. Officer Timothy Reeves and Sergeant Richard Teague received the information and gave quick response assistance to Officer Byrd. The occupants of the car were identified as the suspects in the robbery and were taken into custody.

“Due to the quick response to the information our officers received they were able to make an apprehension in a remarkably short period of time.

It is very hard to catch a criminal that conducts a crime of this type quickly.

Our officers worked together in a fine fashion.

They are on the same shift and are used to working together.

That is what is unique here.

Our dispatchers did a remarkable job in getting the information and passing it along to the officers.

The officers were then able to act quickly and apprehend the actors in the crime,” said Davis.

“I had the advantage of being able to listen to the tapes and view the videos from the patrol cars and see and hear how it all went down.

Officer Ray was the training officer for Smith and was able to coach him as he interviewed and also calmed the store clerk.

The dispatchers then relayed the information to the patrol officers, it was all great teamwork.

The total amount of time from the time the call went out until the apprehension of the criminals was only a minute and a half.”

“I would like to thank all of you on behalf of the city for the jobs that you do every day,”Mayor Kirk Roccafort said. “Thanks to you, Chief, for the job you do putting together such a great team. I think we have one of the better police departments in the area. I have heard that from other people, it is not just coming from me. You all are doing a great job. Thanks to all of you for what you do and do not think it goes unsung. We pay attention to what you do and we appreciate you very much.”

City Manager Jerry Jones announced that delivery of the city’s new trash containers has begun. “Citizens should begin using them as soon as they receive them,” Jones said. “As of now there is no firm deadline to stop using the old containers, but we want people to use the new containers when they are received. If there is a problem with disposal of their old containers, they can bring them to the yard by the city hall. We will have boxes here for their old containers. If our citizens have a problem, we will work with them.”

The city council approved the resolution necessary to allow Tom Neyhart of Endgame Development, LLC, to adopt a Community Revitalization and Redevelopment Plan. Another resolution to appoint Endgame Development, LLC to act on behalf of the city to apply for TDHCA Home funds for the Acadian Village project.

Neyhart reported that information on the Acadian Village will be reported back to the council as the project moves forward.