Special force of volunteers to help patrol shopping areas in Kyle

KYLE, Texas - The shopping centers in Kyle are packed with holiday shoppers. With Christmas getting closer, the search for gifts isn't the only thing ramping up. So has the opportunity for crime, according to Kyle police officer Matthew Leathers.

"Theft continues to occur regardless of if there is a large population or a small population," said Officer Leathers.

Crowded parking lots, according to officer Leathers, remain prime spots for a crime called jugging.

"And that's where someone goes to the bank and withdraws a large amount of cash and then goes to a store, keeps that cash inside the vehicle, and then they go inside the store and shop while they're shopping inside. And the individual who's been watching the bank, watching their vehicle comes over, smashes the window, grabs the cash real quick and exits the area very quickly," said Officer Leathers.

A few years ago, Kyle PD sent holiday bike patrols into the growing retail district on the north side of town. A modified truck has now replaced those two wheeled security deployments. It’s part of a program called COP, Citizens On Patrol.

"And we patrol up and down the aisles of the shopping centers that we have here," said Frank Schultz, who was among the first to sign up.

The COP program in Kyle was launched about three years ago. Modeled after volunteer units in Round Rock and Cedar Park, COP volunteers in Kyle must complete an advanced training course in order to patrol without an officer.

There are currently six members who wear the white hat and patch. On a typical day in Kyle, at least two cops are sent out.

"We do 4-hour patrols, and it depends on what is going on. We check in with communications and patrol, and they tell us if they need us to patrol someplace specific or what to do, and we go do it," said Schultz.

The mission is to notify police about criminal activity, not to confront it or make arrests.

"And any time that somebody decides they want to get a little testy with us, we just back off. It's just not that's not what we do. We observe. We report. We use our cell phones. We use our iPad communications. We do whatever we can to report what needs to be reported," said Schultz.

High-profile vehicles can deter criminal activity. But one offense, illegal parking,  Schultz said, is a common violation they find, and one of the few they can act on.

"There are 2 or 3 of us that are former military members and that kind of ranks on us a little bit. So we look out for that pretty carefully. We issue them a courtesy notice and let them know that they were in the wrong," said Schultz.

The city uses the COP program throughout the year and not just during the holidays. The volunteers help with special events, they patrol neighborhoods and can even provide support for emergency management.

Kyle is looking to expand the COP program in 2025 and is accepting applications for more volunteers.

Kyle PD reports a decrease in criminal activity from a year ago.

November 2024: 

• 54 thefts11 Shoplifting19 Larceny from Motor Vehicle12 Other Larceny Types5 Larceny of Motor Vehicle Parts or Accessories4 Larceny from a Building2 Larceny from a Coin-Operated Machine1 Pickpocketing     
• 11 Shoplifting
• 19 Larceny from Motor Vehicle
• 12 Other Larceny Types
• 5 Larceny of Motor Vehicle Parts or Accessories
• 4 Larceny from a Building
• 2 Larceny from a Coin-Operated Machine
• 1 Pickpocketing     

November 2023:

• 72 Thefts43 Shoplifting13 Larceny from Motor Vehicle4 Other Larceny Types5 Larceny of Motor Vehicle Parts or Accessories4 Larceny from a building2 Larceny from a Coin-Operated Machine1 Pickpocketing
• 43 Shoplifting
• 13 Larceny from Motor Vehicle
• 4 Other Larceny Types
• 5 Larceny of Motor Vehicle Parts or Accessories
• 4 Larceny from a building
• 2 Larceny from a Coin-Operated Machine
• 1 Pickpocketing