Districts
The Woodlands Township
A&O Mounted Security Patrol is in it 30th year of providing security to The Woodlands Township near Houston, Texas. This property provides a textbook example of how to use mounted patrols to effectively provide a visible deterrent to criminal activity as a part of a comprehensive security plan. A&O works closely with Woodlands staff and Board of Directors, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department, store managers, and mall security personnel to keep patrons safe.
Consider the enormous scope of this master planned community: 28,000 forested acres. A million-square-foot retail mall and several village shopping centers. 36 places of worship. 16 schools. 1000 businesses. 165 miles of trails. 110 parks. A 17,000-capacity amphitheater. A 34-acre main-street-styled Market Street with stores, restaurants, specialty grocer and special event venue. A 500-physician hospital. Doctors’ offices. A 65,000-square-foot resort/ conference center. A 200-acre lake. Seven golf courses. Tennis courts. A waterway and water park. Homes, apartments, condos, and townhouses. More than 50 public art sculptures. 6,000 acres preserved as green space.
The challenge of providing a comprehensive public safety program for such a varied and widespread campus led Frank W. Robinson, former president of The Woodlands Township, to be open to forward-thinking and innovative approaches to security. He reached beyond the local law enforcement options and called in the mounted patrol to provide a highly visible and people-friendly component to the security system. For 26 years, the A&O Mounted Patrol has upheld the original vision for bringing public safety to The Woodlands.
A mounted patrol force covers the parking lots, truck courts, and pathways of the commercial developments of The Woodlands daily. High-density vehicle and pedestrian traffic areas like those in the Town Center are the ideal setting for effective use of a mounted horse patrol. The mounted patrol officer watches for nuisance disturbances, loitering, and criminal actions. Although officers do not carry weapons, riders are trained to use their horses in defense.
One of the main reasons for the success of the mounted patrol at The Woodlands is the close collaboration with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the Constable’s Office, and the local city police departments with jurisdiction over the area. Mounted patrol officers are in constant radio contact with law enforcement, permitting everyone to act quickly and decisively to prevent or diminish a criminal act.
The tragedy of 9/11 was a test for security units across the country. The mounted patrol, along with other security components, was immediately put on high alert at the commercial center following the Sept. 11 attacks. They were among the first people to be called following the terrorist actions. The quick response was a result of consistent planning for emergencies, the practiced ability to set up mobile command units, and the inventory of sophisticated communications equipment.
Hurricane emergencies are a special challenge in the Houston area. In 2024, Beryl roared in and took out the A&O office, destroying the building, hay shed, and stables, along with uprooting trees. In addition, many homes of riders were severely damaged and roads were blocked. Still, riders reported for duty with many taking routes that added hours to their commutes. A&O officials brought in equipment normally used for festivals, preventing serious down time when our expertise was most needed. They used their tour bus, its industrial sized generator, special communications equipment, and a mobile office to get patrols back on the streets quickly. Troopers monitored lines at gas stations and supply distribution points, helped power crews, directed traffic, and patrolled streets filled with debris. Years earlier in 2008 similar steps were used when A&O was among the initial first responders when Hurricane Ike brought its fury to bear. Troopers were back on patrol within 48 hours of the storm.
Westwood Magnolia Parkway Improvement District
Westwood Magnolia Parkway Improvement District (WMPID), a 1800-acre mixed use project, is located at the intersection of Magnolia Parkway and Highway 2978 in the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area. A&O has steadily increased its security presence at the property as it grows.
WMPID gives elevated attention to security in the area by including a substation of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department in the Westwood Village Shopping Center. This law enforcement presence, along with the visibility of the mounted patrol, acts as both a crime deterrent and improves response times to incidents.
Planned projects will emphasize health care, quality of life, shopping, and recreation. Also, Magnolia Parkway will have its 14-mile parkway elevated to a true parkway.
