As of Oct. 1, the Montgomery County Precinct 5 constable’s office increased patrol operations from five to seven days each week. At the start of fiscal year 2017-18, Precinct 5 received additional officers, Constable David Hill said. “We were able to go to seven days a week through the help of our [Precinct 2] Commissioner Charlie Riley. He was able to get us three officers last year and three [officers] this year,” Hill said. “We’ve been able to devote those folks to DWI enforcement, drug enforcement and all kinds of criminal activity, and it’s been great.” Although other Montgomery County precincts increased patrol operations a few years ago, Riley said the need for daily patrol in the Magnolia area was not as great as elsewhere in the County. “I don’t think the need was here as bad as it was in other places, but as we saw the need getting greater and greater here for more public safety out on the streets, we were able to give [Hill] some more folks over there, increase his budget [and] increase his staff,” Riley said. “It’s a good thing for all of us.” Hill said in September alone, four Precinct 5 officers arrested 36 individuals for both felony and misdemeanor crimes. From January to September 2017, the precinct has doubled its total number of arrests in 2016, he said. “Now, we’re going to be able to work weekends [and] nights when we can interdict some of the DWI problems out here [in Precinct 5]. We’ve got probably the highest per capita DWI death rate in the state—and it’s something that needs to be addressed and something that we’re going to address,” Hill said. “We really anticipate doing some good with these officers out there working.”