Kyle, Texas is keeping holiday spirits high with a mischievous twist as local police revive their "Grinch Watch" for another season of festive warnings. "His heart may be two sizes too small," the Kyle PD teased, as they brought back the viral campaign to combat the seasonal scourge of porch piracy and thefts—using none other than the infamous Grinch.
The green meanie himself took to "decorating" the city, slapping a self-portrait atop the water tower, much to the amusement (and alertness) of Kyle's residents. A hotline ringing in reports of a Grinch on the loose at (737) 292-6278 has become the town's latest hotline, a tongue-in-cheek charm offensive by local law enforcement. "The reactions have been great," exclaimed Grant Bowling, audio and film manager with the City of Kyle, during a FOX 7 Austin interview.
According to KXAN, the merry yet wary officials have warned Kyle's citizens to keep their doors locked and their holiday hauls out of plain sight. Yet, with Santa making his punctual arrival for the city's annual tree-lighting, festive cheer seems undampened by the Grinch's shenanigans. The ceremony held at Mary Kyle Hartson City Square Park marked just the start of Kyle's holiday celebrations, including "25 Days of Christmas and Christmas at Lake Kyle, " KXAN reports.
It's not all about gimmicks; there's community spirit woven into these Grinchy capers. "It helps us as a police department interact a lot with the community, which is what we want in Kyle. The citizens love it. We love it," Officer Dago Pates told FOX 7 Austin, revealing the campaign's dual purpose of fun and civic engagement. If an eye out for the Grinch isn't festive enough, residents can revel in the "wanted" posters plastered across town—certainly making for a holiday season with a narrative twist right out of a Dr. Seuss classic.
Keeping with the spirit, "Grinch Watch" videos can be seen prancing on Kyle’s YouTube page, where footage of the Grinch, humorously referencing "The Office," shows him initially taking a "job" before reverting to his rogue ways.
