Jose G. Landa
Staff writer


   The Eagle Pass City Council approved the final reading of an ordinance intended to prohibit the establishment of any new flea market operations in the downtown area at their meeting held on Tuesday January 16.

The Eagle Pass Police Department responded to the corner of South Monroe and Bliss street on Sunday, November 26, due to reports of a fight in progress near the Chelos Baseball Field. 

A car parked on the corner of Ford and Monroe Street was found on fire Monday morning at approximately 10:30 a.m.

Jaclyn Guzman

A gas leak in the at the intersection of Main Street and Commercial Street occurred Tuesday night when a crew installing light fixtures accidentally drilled into a pipe.

“it was one of the bigger gas lines in the downtown area so of course it was emitting a lot of gas,” said Fire Chief Manuel Mello.

   After 20 years in the downtown area, Payless Shoe Source has officially closed its doors after liquidating their merchandise for the last several months.

Eagle Pass Main Street Program Director Joe Cruz is preparing a proposal of mixed-use real estate tax abatement program in the downtown area. 

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (AP) — San Antonio police are investigating the discovery of a man's body in the waters of the downtown San Antonio River Walk.

The City of Eagle Pass will be taking measures to ensure that everything is being done to prevent theft at stores downtown.

In a response to an article published in The News Gram on Sunday that touched on the theft problem downtown, Eagle Pass Police Chief Alberto Guajardo said he will be partnering with Main Street Program Manager Joe Cruz to train merchants in ways to better monitor customers and merchandise.

Many times merchandise is set up outside the stores on the sidewalks, cash registers are left unattended, music is playing loudly, doors are left wide open, and there is no way to differentiate between employees and customers because there are no uniforms: all of which makes stealing easier.

Unwillingness to report theft is also common among downtown merchants, and is a problem for police officers, said Guajardo. Many merchants refuse to press charges, despite being able to recognize the perpetrators because they do not want thieves to return to their stores and cause more problems, which Guajardo said he understands on some level.  

As far as comments on lack of patrol units in the downtown area, Guajardo said he did investigating of his own, and found that there were officers driving up and down Main Street and Commercial Street. Officers are focusing not only on theft, but on drug and prostitution cases that are seen in the area, though not as frequently as in past years.

Guajardo said he is available to work with merchants, and plans to do just that by raising security in the area and asking merchants to do their part.

“For every problem we encounter I’m going to look for the solution,” said Guajardo.

Chief Guajardo aumentará el patrullaje en el centro, pide a los comerciantes que hagan su parte

Staff reports

   La Ciudad de Eagle Pass tomará medidas para asegurar y para prevenir el robo en  tiendas del centro. En respuesta a un artículo publicado en The News Gram el domingo que tocó el problema del robo en el centro, el jefe de policía de Eagle Pass, Alberto Guajardo, dijo que se asociará con el director del programa de la calle principal, Joe Cruz, para capacitar a los comerciantes para mejorar el monitoreo de clientes y mercancías . 

   Muchas veces la mercancía se pone fuera de las tiendas en las aceras, las cajas registradoras se dejan sin vigilancia, la música  se encuentra muy alta, la puerta se deja abierta y no hay forma de diferenciar entre los empleados y los clientes porque no traen uniformes: Esto facilita el robo. 

   La falta de reporte de robo también es común entre los comerciantes del centro, y es un problema para los oficiales de policía, dijo Guajardo. Muchos comerciantes se niegan a presentar cargos, a pesar de ser capaces de reconocer a los rateros porque no quieren que vuelvan a sus tiendas y causen más problemas, lo que Guajardo dijo que eso se entiende 

   En cuanto a los comentarios sobre la falta de unidades de patrulla en el área del centro, Guajardo dijo que investigó por su cuenta, y encontró que había oficiales que vigilaban en la calle Main y la calle Comercial. Los agentes se centran no sólo en el robo, sino en los casos de drogas y prostitución que se observan en la zona, aunque no tan frecuentemente como en años anteriores.

  Guajardo dijo que está disponible para trabajar con los comerciantes, y planea hacer eso elevando la seguridad en la zona y pidiendo a los comerciantes que hagan su parte.

   "Para cada problema que  se presente voy a buscar la solución", dijo Guajardo.