Capt. Andrew Eason, of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department Division 6 in The Woodlands, answers questions during the Watch Talk Wednesday meeting at The Woodlands Township building, 2201 Lake Woodlands Drive. Residents listened to public safety officials and were able to ask questions about crime and safety. Photo by David HopperAbout 100 people crammed into a lunchtime meeting to learn more about The Woodlands community policing initiative and ways they can help prevent crime in their neighborhoods.

“Law enforcement can’t do it by ourselves,” said Lt. Ronnie Glaze of the Harris County Constable 4 office, which provides service to Creekside Park. “It takes everyone’s involvement to make sure everything works. We don’t want to be in our patrol cars all the time, we want to be out talking to you guys.”

The Woodlands held it inaugural meeting for Watch Talk Wednesdays, a monthly series designed to teach crime prevention methods to residents.

During the first meeting, residents peppered law enforcement from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and Harris County Precinct 4 Constables Office representatives with questions on crime and effective prevention methods.

Future seminars may include such topics as locks, lighting, landscaping, sex offenders, rape aggressive defense class, identity theft, Internet safety, emergency preparedness, drug/narcotic awareness and Montgomery County Crime Stoppers and Kid Chat.

“We want to give you information on things you can do at home and in your life where you work and shop on how to make it safer,” said John Raybon, manager of neighborhood services for The Woodlands Township.

One of the key pieces of information provided at the forum was effective numbers for both the Montgomery County Sheriff and Harris County Precinct 4 Constable. Participants whipped out their cell phones to input the numbers.

For the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, residents can call 936-442-7797 or 936-760-5800 to report suspicious activities. In Harris County, the constable’s number is 281-376-3472. Of course, 911 can be used for emergencies.

Glaze asked residents to provide as much information as possible when calling in a crime or suspicious activities. That includes a description of the person or vehicle, license plate number or direction of travel.

Residents asked officials about the crime information that is included on Woodlands Alert, an automated system that can notify residents by phone or e-mail about criminal activities or community events. Raybon said the system is used to inform residents about major crimes, to seek assistance for information on crime and to provide tips to make the community safer.

Raybon said one of the most common crimes in The Woodlands is car burglary, and most of these are the result of unlocked vehicles and valuables left in clear view. Those are not reported on Woodlands Alert.

“We do not put out every car burglary,” Raybon said. “Somebody’s car gets broken into every day. We have an average of 30 break-ins a month.”

In the future, Woodlands Alert will be used to report arrests on prominent cases as well as provide tips to prevent similar crimes, said Steve Sumner, director of law enforcement and transportation services for the township.

Another area of interest was the use of cell phone to report emergencies. Some phones provide GPS data on the location of the caller, but it is best to identify the area from which you are calling.

A resident also questioned the effectiveness of alarm systems in The Woodlands. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office responds to about 500 alarm calls a month.

Capt. Andy Eason, supervisor for the District 6 Woodlands Division at the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, said that even when the alarm is false, deputies are dispatched, which provides police visibility in the area. Therefore, an alarm system is an effective prevention tool, Eason said.

Residents also asked if there was an increase in crime in The Woodlands. Eason said they has been an increase in calls for services – there was about 3,000 calls in January alone, but that is due to a growth in population and increased law enforcement presence in the community.

“There have been more high profile crimes occurring lately,” Eason said. “With more patrols on the streets we are catching them more and putting their butts in jail.”

Eason and Sumner said there have been several arrests on recent major crimes, including a shooting at The Woodlands Mall, a rash of car and home burglaries and a graffiti artist.

Eason said he does hopes to be able to bring a rape aggressive defense class to The Woodlands after training local deputies in the technique.

“We have to stand up and say we are not going to put up with this,” Eason said. “You are part of the team. You are the cheerleaders.”

Law Enforcement in The Woodlands

Supplemental law enforcement in the community is offered by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the Harris County Constable 4 office. Following are contact numbers for each organization.
Montgomery County Sheriff 936-442-7797 or 936-760-5800
Harris County Constable 4 281-376-3472
Source: The Woodlands Township