Sheriff Wesley Doolittle and Montgomery County and Harris County law enforcement partners briefed The Woodlands Township Board of Directors on Jan. 16 about a reorganization of the sheriff’s office, local crime‑reduction work and recent enforcement results.

The sheriff said his reorganization creates a support bureau, justice bureau and operations bureau to streamline operations and improve proactive policing. Captain Ryan Drody, recently assigned to the Woodlands area, described the new Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) as a hybrid team of undercover and uniformed officers that focuses on violent crime, organized crime and quality‑of‑life offenses.

“In the CRU we address violent crimes, organized crime, and the quality‑of‑life crimes, which could be burglaries, vehicle burglaries, assaults and thefts,” Captain Drody said. He reported that the unit has generated approximately 87 cases, 42 arrests and about $144,000 in recovered stolen property; officers also seized approximately $42,000 in merchandise and had 12 pending warrants in the DA’s office.

Chief Rick Bass and Captain Tim Holyfield described the continued emphasis on interagency partnerships across Montgomery and Harris counties and with federal partners for large or cross‑jurisdictional incidents. Sheriff Doolittle highlighted the real‑time crime center and said his office seeks to expand night‑command coverage and monitoring capabilities.

Harris County constables and the township’s contracted constable office also reported enforcement actions. Montgomery County Constable personnel described recent work by the Safe Harbor and Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) units: the ICAC/human‑trafficking partnership produced an operation in November that led to 14 arrests, including 7 charged with prostitution‑related offenses and at least one arrest tied to online solicitation of a minor.

Why it matters: The presentations underscore a shift toward proactive, intelligence‑led policing in the township and describe recent successes against property crime and sex‑trafficking activity. Board members asked how the sheriff’s office and partners can coordinate more cameras, technology, drone use and 24‑hour real‑time monitoring to reduce crime and shorten response and investigative timelines.

Quotes

“His vision was to form a crime reduction unit that we started here in The Woodlands,” Chief Rick Bass said, describing the office’s proactive approach. Captain Drody added: “They address the violent crimes, organized crime, and the quality‑of‑life crimes … The CRU statistics so far — they’ve made approximately 87 cases. They have 12 that are pending warrants, 42 arrests, recovered items stolen was a $144,000 worth, and they seized approximately $42,000 worth of merchandise.”

What’s next: Law enforcement leaders said they will continue to work with township staff and private businesses to expand camera coverage and real‑time monitoring and to coordinate large‑scale human‑trafficking operations with Houston‑area partners.

Sources: Presentations and statements by Sheriff Wesley Doolittle, Chief Rick Bass, Captain Ryan Drody, Captain Tim Holyfield and Montgomery County and Harris County constable personnel.