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Alice police credit license-plate readers and officers'work for quick homicide arrest; department reports second-quarter stats
Summary
Chief Edgar Garcia reported second-quarter police statistics and briefed council on a recent homicide investigation solved with the help of license-plate reader (LPR) technology and mutual aid; council praised officers for extended investigative efforts.
Alice Police Department Chief Edgar Garcia updated the council on quarterly crime statistics and described a homicide investigation the department solved in mid-September using license-plate reader (LPR) technology and assistance from neighboring agencies.
Garcia said second-quarter comparisons showed changes across categories: burglary of habitation rose by one (from six to seven), vehicle burglaries rose from 11 to 17, burglary of building fell from 11 to seven, aggravated assaults fell from 10 to four, alarm calls rose from 144 to 244, arrests declined from 192 to 90, and total accidents fell from 128 to 99. He also reported the department had received a $12,000 traffic enforcement grant to fund overtime.
On the homicide, Garcia told council the investigation spanned multiple jurisdictions and relied on LPR technology to trace a suspect vehicle from Alice to Hebronville. He said officers worked long shifts, including some who were off duty, and that Jim Wells County assisted with equipment and resources. "For a while, we didn't think we'd be able to solve it," Garcia said. "We've invested a lot of money in the technology side, and that's what saved us. We have what we call LPRs out throughout our city. So it was able to track where the car went. And that's how we were able to follow it from here to all the way to Heavenville."
Garcia praised officers for their work, noting teams executed search warrants and returned with results within days. Councilmembers and the mayor thanked the force; Garcia said the department plans to publish updated group and departmental photos on its social media and will continue quarterly reporting to council.
