TEMPLE, Texas — It's been harder for food truck owners at the Yard Plaza in Temple to do business for over a year now. Theft, vandalism, and property damage are the reasons why.
The owner of 'You Da Man Noodle Man', Paul Cobo, has been parked at the Yard Plaza since January 2023. After someone put his water hose inside of his truck and flooded his truck Sunday, he's left to pay thousands of dollars for the damages.
"The city police came that night, took down my information, and basically told me it's hard to pinpoint who did it because there's no cameras or witnesses to catch who did it," Cobo explained.
Several other water faucets were turned on Sunday and other food trucks suffered damage as well.
Since 6 News initially covered this story, Temple Police property division detective Justin Mccormick says they have increased patrolling in the area.
However, Mama Lama food truck owner Lama Marroquin and most of the city food truck owners believe putting a surveillance cameras at the plaza would help more with watching their trucks over night.
"The only thing we're asking of the city parks and recreation is a simple camera that's installed on a 20-foot pole where no one can shimmy up that pole to take it down," Marroquin explained.
Marroquin went on to say traffic has already been slow at the plaza because of its location and these issues aren't helping attract more people to the plaza.
Food truck owners have been experiencing theft, ranging from generators to power cords.
So far, there has been one food truck owner who has decided to no longer park at the plaza because of the constant issues.
Relocating is an option for everyone to make, but owner of Chock Full of Cheese Jenny Morales explained how the requirements from the city and high costs makes this harder to do.
"There's a lot of regulations you need to follow," Morales said. "The plaza is the cheapest spot in town to be able to have everything you need in one payment. Every where else want's about $600 a month which is twice the amount here. This makes it really difficult for us to move."
6 News reached out to City of Temple officials for comment on if they would be open to putting up cameras to help with surveilling the area. Here is their response.
"The City of Temple is aware of the recent incidents of thefts and vandalism at The Yard, and we share the concerns of our community. The Temple Police Department has increased patrols in the area to enhance security and actively investigate these crimes. We are also working on policy changes to further protect the premises. We understand that food truck owners may be concerned, and if they believe it is in their best interest to remove their trailers at the end of each day, they are welcome to do so. We are committed to ensuring the safety of The Yard and will continue to collaborate with stakeholders to address these challenges and preserve the integrity of our beloved recreational area."
Marroquin and a number of other food truck owners have attended city council meetings over the last month to get some answers out of the city. They say their issues don't make it on the city's agenda even after filling the proper paperwork. They also say they continue to be directed to different city officials who have yet to gave an actual resolution.