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Township weighs sheriff contract swap, license‑plate cameras and policing costs
Summary
The Woodlands staff presented a sheriff‑office proposal to reassign funded positions and add technology — including 30 Flock license‑plate readers and a Polaris Ranger — and board members discussed costs, contract timing and alternative funding sources. Directors asked staff to bring refined cost and contract language.
Township staff briefed the board on Aug. 20 about a Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office proposal that would reallocate which positions the township funds under its contract and add technology and equipment requests.
Under the new proposal, the sheriff’s office would reclassify a set of positions so the township funds more sergeants who are typically based in the township while the county funds detectives who can be deployed countywide. Staff estimated an illustrative swap‑cost differential of about $94,000 if done on an even basis; funding for additional sergeants beyond that would add ongoing expense and is not in the base budget.
Other law‑enforcement items presented as budget initiatives included: roughly $109,500 for 30 license‑plate‑reader 'Flock' cameras to monitor entrances and exits, $60,000 for a Polaris Ranger to replace an out‑of‑service unit, and requests for reclassifications to form a crime‑reduction unit. Separately, the Harris County Constable for Precinct 4 requested two additional deputies to increase Creekside Park coverage; after the Constable delayed its own pay‑parity implementation this year, staff said the township can absorb the $251,000 cost within the base budget as presented.
What was decided: staff told the board it can absorb some items within existing base budget flexibility; other, ongoing increases would require adjustments or use of reserves. The board asked for refined numbers and contract language to support negotiations (contract renewal is timed to the county’s Oct. 1 budget year). No final contract changes were approved at the meeting.
Representative quote: 'The technology spend that we're spending on that is gonna be a game changer,' the chair said of license‑plate camera technology; staff noted the cameras help track vehicles across the county and said similar systems have aided arrests in neighboring jurisdictions.
Next steps: staff will return with updated cost estimates and contract language, and the board will weigh tradeoffs between private security (Alpha & Omega) and county law‑enforcement funding as part of final budget deliberations.
