The Woodlands Township and local law enforcement agencies have ramped up their efforts to fight crime, hiring nine law enforcement personnel and instituting a gang intelligence unit to keep The Woodlands and surrounding areas safe. Chief Deputy Randy McDaniel of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said The Woodlands has more patrol staff than any other district in Montgomery County. "It's because it's the overall strategy and thinking of The Woodlands—they're willing to drop the dollars to increase the number of law enforcement [personnel] available to increase patrolling," McDaniel said. Gang activity McDaniel said gang activity in The Woodlands is coming from Houston and Harris County, and that the sheriff's office has identified 82 types of gangs in Montgomery County. Law enforcement can distinguish between gang crime and conventional crime because gang members proudly announce their affiliations, he said. "Generally, those that are hardcore gang members have no qualms in telling us what gang they're associated with," McDaniel said. McDaniel said in one of the latest arrests for an armed robbery, their tattoos led police interrogators to inquire if the suspects were members of a gang. The robbers said they were with Tango Blast, a known gang in Texas. McDaniel said the sheriff's office has developed the new gang unit to gather intelligence and build a database to track gang members who live in and frequent The Woodlands area. "The objective [of the GIU] is to improve our knowledge of gang activities within the confines of Montgomery County," McDaniel said. "We're focusing on the entire county when it comes to this new unit. We do know that gang activity is increasing, and Montgomery County seems to be a valid target of opportunity for gangs out of the Houston metroplex area." He said the Montgomery County Commissioners Court approved funding to establish the GIU because it recognized gang activity as a potential long-term problem that needs to be addressed immediately. "We know that we've had gang members here for years," McDaniel said. "We have not really known the numbers or different types of gangs, so it's hard to establish a baseline of gang activity. We're now trying to capture the data so we can understand from here on out the gang activity going forward." McDaniel said gangs tend to be involved in more violent crimes—bypassing minor thefts—and targeting larger venues, such as banks. "You don't see [gangs] committing the petty thefts," he said. "They're not generally going to go in and shoplift. They look for a bigger bang for their buck." Gangs are attracted to The Woodlands because of the socioeconomic status of the community, McDaniel said. "They're going to go where the money is," he said. Crimes reported Meanwhile, call data compiled by the township Law Enforcement Services suggests a five-year spike in crimes such as sexual assaults and auto thefts, and a decrease in robberies. In 2010, there were 26 calls for sexual assaults and 57 auto thefts reported in The Woodlands. By the end of 2014, records showed 50 calls for sexual assault and 105 for auto theft. Yet, reports of robbery decreased. Robbery calls were logged 51 times in 2010 and 33 times in 2014. However, township Law Enforcement Director Marian Leck said when call reports come in, they do not necessarily reflect an actual crime. Sexual assault and auto theft reports outpaced population growth in The Woodlands, with sexual assault calls increasing 92.3 percent from 2010 compared to 2014 and auto thefts increasing by 84.2 percent. Robbery calls decreased by 35.3 percent, and assault calls decreased 23.5 percent from 2010 compared to 2014. According to The Woodlands Development Company, the population of The Woodlands in 2010 was 97,023. By Dec. 1, 2014, the population stood at 109,679, an increase of 13.04 percent. Township efforts In addition to the county's efforts to curb recent crime trends, the township is spending more money than ever on law enforcement initiatives. According to the township, law enforcement expenses are expected to increase by 11.84 percent from 2014 compared to 2015 after only rising 6.59 percent from 2013–14 and 5.47 percent from 2012–13. Leck said the large amount of visitor activity, not just the number of people living in the community, justifies the increase in law enforcement expenses. "We always want to stay ahead of the curve and look at a variety of issues as it relates to law enforcement," she said. "You have to look at the whole picture." Included in the township 2015 budget is $1.1 million to add more police officers to patrol The Woodlands. According to the township, the increases in law enforcement is due to the continued development of Hughes Landing, the Village of Creekside Park and the I-45/Hwy. 242 corridor. Village comparison Town Center had the highest number of calls in 2014 with 16,907. College Park had the least amount of crime call reports, with 5,148 in the last year. "In general, the crime [statistics] are encouraging over the last few years," Alden Bridge Village Association President Steve Leakey said. "The sheriff's department has been funding more law enforcement. My general impression is that the coverage we're getting [and] the crime prevention measures from neighborhood watch are working." McDaniel said the concentration of vehicles in Town Center allows for more opportunities for vehicular crime, which is the most common call police receive in The Woodlands downtown district. He said law enforcement is attempting to curb criminal activity in the area. Measures include adding surveillance and baiting the interior of cars with visible items and unlocked doors to catch criminals in the act. "You're being surveilled by deputies, and they swoop down on you," he said. "The kicker is you never know [which] car is being monitored." The Village of Grogan's Mill had a decrease in reported assault and burglary from 2010 compared to 2014. Grogan's Mill Village board member Thomas Chumbley said law enforcement efforts and neighborhood watch initiatives assist in deterring crime. "All the info the township puts out about making sure you lock your doors and the big efforts you get [from] neighborhood watch, that's helping," he said. Woodlands Watch is a police community partnership in which neighbors are encouraged to share information to keep homes and the community safer. Chumbley said "vacation watch," a free patrol service for Montgomery County residents on vacation, is helping as well. "So much crime is crime of opportunity," Chumbley said. "Someone will drive by and see a garage door open and say, 'Oh, look, there's a nice set of golf clubs in there.' It's very important for neighbors to secure their property."