Township Board of Directors release statement on Budget Discussions regarding Mounted Patrol

On Thursday, August 20 at 7:09 p.m., The Woodlands Township Board of Directors released the following statement on The Woodlands Township’s Facebook page on “Township Budget Discussions Regarding Mounted Patrol“. This week, the Board of Directors held Board Budget Workshops daily on Monday, August 17 through Thursday, August 20 at The Woodlands Township.

Statement from The Woodlands Township Board of Directors:

“Township Budget Discussions Regarding Mounted Patrol

The Woodlands Township is committed to maintaining a safe and welcoming environment in the Town Center area while continually evaluating how public funds can best support public safety services. The Board’s action today was a budgetary decision intended to provide the flexibility to consider maintaining a mounted patrol presence while enhancing the service through commissioned law enforcement officers.

Alpha & Omega and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office provide fundamentally different services. Alpha & Omega provides a courtesy patrol whose personnel are not commissioned law enforcement officers. They do not have the authority to detain individuals, make arrests or take law enforcement action. When criminal activity is observed, law enforcement must be contacted through the normal 911 process.

The Sheriff’s Office proposal would provide mounted patrol through commissioned law enforcement officers. In addition to providing a visible mounted presence, those officers would have the authority to detain and arrest, direct access to law enforcement communications and databases and the ability to take immediate law enforcement action when necessary. The proposal would maintain mounted patrol while providing an enhanced level of public safety service.

Community engagement would remain an important component of mounted patrol services. The visible presence of mounted patrol provides opportunities for positive interaction with residents, businesses and visitors, and that engagement would continue to be a priority under any future service model.

“Political rhetoric and inflammatory accusations will not intimidate this Board or distract us from doing what is best for The Woodlands,” said Chairman Brad Bailey. “No company is entitled to taxpayer dollars simply because it has held a contract for many years. We have a responsibility to continually evaluate every service we fund and ask whether there is an opportunity to provide greater value and a higher level of public safety. If we have an opportunity to put commissioned law enforcement officers in our Town Center while maintaining the visible presence and community engagement our residents value, we have an obligation to seriously consider it. I will never apologize for putting public safety and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars first.”

Alpha & Omega submitted its 2027 proposal to the Township on May 8, in advance of the May 15 deadline for 2027 budget requests. The proposal requested an increase in weekly service hours at an increased cost to the Township, while continuing the same courtesy mounted patrol model. While the proposal increased patrol hours, it did not materially change or enhance its existing scope of services.

Questions raised by Alpha & Omega regarding the Sheriff’s Office’s proposed staffing, deployment and care of its horses are operational matters for the Sheriff’s Office. The Township would expect those operational requirements to be appropriately addressed as part of any proposed agreement presented to the Board for consideration.

No agreement with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office for mounted patrol services has been approved. The only action taken by the Board was to allocate funding for mounted patrol services within the Law Enforcement fund as part of the Proposed 2027 Budget. This provides the Township with the ability to plan for this option should the Board ultimately choose to proceed. Alpha & Omega remains under contract with the Township through December 31, 2026.

The 2027 Budget is scheduled for adoption September 3. Following adoption of the budget, Township staff anticipates bringing a proposed agreement with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office for mounted patrol services to the Board at a future public meeting. At that time, the Board will have the opportunity to consider the proposal and provide formal direction regarding mounted patrol services for 2027.

The Board has both the authority and responsibility to continually evaluate services provided to the community and determine how taxpayer resources should be allocated. The expiration of an existing contract does not obligate the Township to continue that contract beyond its term. Any decision regarding future mounted patrol services will be made by the Board through its established public meeting process.”

Source: The Woodlands Township

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