Passion for public safety drives officers

Rob Hauck has a passion for justice that extends back to his youth. He can recall his distaste for bullying as a kid and the impulse to stand up for the victims. Today, as the chief of police in Tomball, Hauck said this belief continues to motivate him.

"I walk away each day feeling like I did something worthwhile, even if I just made one small, positive difference," he said.

Having served as police chief since June 2008, Hauck has helped bring about a number of changes for the department. The department launched an aviation unit in 2011 and has built crucial partnerships with the fire station, EMS and public works department in Tomball.

Domingo Ibarra, the chief of police in Magnolia, feels a similar duty to serve his constituents. Ibarra moved to Magnolia with his family in 2008 and joined the police force as a marshall in 2009. About two weeks later, he was promoted to chief of police.

"It's part of my character to be able to be available for people," he said. "After I came to Magnolia I was intending to go into the private sector, but somehow the Lord wanted me back in law enforcement, so here I am."

Since Ibarra took over in Magnolia, the department has maintained a strong clearance rate for crimes. His department was recently honored by the District Attorney's office for its progress in improving traffic safety.

Rob Hauck, Chief of Police, City of Tomball

How did you initially get into police work?

I started my career in Los Angeles in 1988 when I was 21 years old. I had an opportunity to get a job with a mortgage business right after high school, but I was always interested in public safety. I went through a reserve police academy with the intention of living that public safety dream as a reserve officer. Once I really got into the program, it struck me that I didn't want to be in the mortgage business the rest of my life, so I became an active officer. I spent more than 20 years with the LAPD and I got hired as the chief of police in Tomball on June 2, 2008. I love my profession and know I made the right decision.

What is your philosophy when it comes to maintaining law and order?

I think there's no better way to provide law enforcement than to listen to your community, be engaged and establish trust. We're working on a collective mission to keep our community safe, to foster an environment where people can have fun and want to be a part of the community. You have to be relentless in your pursuit of criminal activity. You have to be proactive as a community and as a law enforcement agency, and that's something I love about Tomball. People take offense when someone comes into this community and victimizes others. That's what makes the community safe: residents, businesses and a police department that collectively have buy-in, ownership and care about maintaining a high quality of life.

How does your department work around challenges presented by budget limitations?

Probably the biggest thing that we've done in the four years that I've been here is develop a relationship between police, fire, EMS and public works. We looked at each entity and are doing as much as possible to share resources and identify areas where we can save money by not duplicating spending. We have completely combined our radio systems to create one citywide radio network. We combined Northwest EMS dispatch center and the Tomball PD dispatch center so the situational awareness for everyone involved in public safety is the same. By doing things like that, we've been able to save money while adding resources and even adding personnel.

What was your proudest moment since becoming chief of police in Tomball?

There are a lot of proud moments. I believe my single proudest moment was the first time that we had a department-wide inspection. Every TPD employee stood as one outside in that parking lot in class-A uniforms—in front of the community, our elected officials and our public safety partners—as proud as the day is long. I can sit there and take credit for stuff like the reduction in traffic collisions, but at the end of the day, it's not about me. My job is to create that environment where the men and women of the TPD can flourish, and they impress me every day.

Domingo Ibarra, Chief of Police, City of Magnolia

How did you initially get into police work?

When I first got into law enforcement, I was a student in Corpus Christi with a full scholarship. I was going to be a teacher. I ended up working my way through school as an auditor for a hotel. One day, there was a break-in to the hotel restaurant. I saw the individuals and detained one of them while I called the police officer that worked there. From that point it was in my blood. Shortly after that, I joined the Corpus Christi PD. I started in the Magnolia PD as a marshall October 2009. I was officially named chief of police on Oct. 13.

What is your philosophy when it comes to maintaining law and order?

One of my basic mantras is to try to resolve conflict, not create controversy. My basic philosophy of law enforcement is deeper than that. It's justice tempered with mercy. We can, at many times, get confused and frustrated in law enforcement. Unfortunately, when we become the aggressor, we fail to realize what it is that we're trying to do. Sometimes that's a lot harder than it has to be, but if you're aware of it you can work harder at it.

How has the crime rate trended since you took over?

I'm very pleased that, this past year, we had an 89 percent clearance of crimes. Whenever you have a crime that remains unsolved, it becomes a lot harder for you to be effective because you become an easier target. We developed what's called a TEST—Traffic Enforcement Safety Team. We want to be able to keep tabs on traffic that's coming through here and make sure they traverse safely. Some people would say we're aggressive; I'd say we're responsive. We were recognized by the DA's office as municipality of the year in 2010 by the Vehicular Crimes Task Force. We had Mothers Against Drunk Driving honor us that same year. It speaks highly to the fact that we are progressive in our approach.

What is your relationship with other law enforcement agencies in the area?

I'd say we have a decent relationship. Many times, because of budgetary constraints, we have one officer on duty, and that's unfortunate. I try as much as possible to get more than that. If an officer does not have backup, then they rely on public safety officers from other agencies. We all go through Montgomery County dispatch, so if we hear an officer calling for an additional unit, we help each other. The only time we ever leave our jurisdiction is when an officer requests backup first. We do not make calls for service outside of the city, but having that backup is probably the biggest factor that helps officers stay safe.