Government
BY NICHAELA SHAHEEN
The department oversees 113,900 residents in 77.5 square miles, Conroe Police Chief Jon Buckholtz said in an interview.
PHOTOS COURTESY CITY OF CONROE
Conroe’s new police chief Jon Buckholtz shares vision for tackling crime Jon Buckholtz became the new Conroe police chief after being appointed by Conroe City Council out of over 40 applicants during its Jan. 23 meeting, according to prior reporting. Conroe Police Department is made up of 217 members—170 o cers and 47 civilians. The depart- ment oversees 113,900 residents in 77.5 square miles, Buckholtz said in an interview with Commu- nity Impact. Buckholtz also discussed his priorities as chief and the department’s growth. Can you share a little about your career journey and what led you to this position? I’ve been a police o cer for 30 years and in crim- inal justice for 34. I worked for the city of Conroe for 21 years, where I was a lieutenant and worked in every division of the department. Before retiring in 2018, I worked as a public integrity investigator at the [Montgomery County] District Attorney’s O ce. ... When the opportunity to return came up, I took it. I just nished my rst month back. I take training very seriously—this is not a hobby for me. It’s my life’s work, and I strive to be the best I can be. What are your top priorities as the new police chief? I have several. Collaboration between agencies
is a primary goal. Speci cally, it’s about building strong working relationships between law enforce- ment agencies. There are 24 agencies in this county, and we’re just one of them. By working well with our partners, we can e ectively multiply our resources and improve law enforcement across the board. ... Also [a priority is] reducing the out- standing warrants in the city. We have people who commit crimes, and once warrants are issued, those arrests remain outstanding. [We’re] focusing on getting those individuals into the criminal justice system and holding them accountable for their actions. Improving our clearance rates on crimes, particularly uniform crime data, is also a focus. ... And then being transparent with the community. ... We serve the citizens here, and being as transparent as possible in all that we do is important. What’s your vision for the department as the community continues to grow? My vision is to maintain our strong presence and control over the crime rate, something we’ve done a phenomenal job of so far. The department has some amazing assets and dedicated people, but handling the challenges of population growth is an ongoing task. What are the biggest crime challenges in this community, and how do you plan to tackle them? One of our biggest challenges is the proximity of multiple jurisdictions. Criminal activity often moves from neighboring areas into our county and city, and we are responsible for addressing it. Technology plays a critical role in our approach.
How are you approaching taking over the animal shelter into the department? First and foremost, I’m approaching it with a very positive attitude. I love animals and was a canine o cer for seven years, so I’m passionate about this. With an open heart, we’re taking on this challenge because I want the community to be proud of their animal shelter. The citizens have funded it, and it’s our responsibility to run it for them. We’re focused on hiring the right sta ... we’re also working on upgrading the equipment and renovating the facil- ity to make it a place the community can be proud of. ... Employees deserve a good workplace, citizens deserve a good place to visit, and the animals deserve the best care we can provide.
Conroe Police Chief Jon Buckholtz’s priorities include:
Building strong working relationships between law enforcement agencies
Improving clearance rates on crimes
Reducing the outstanding warrants in the city
Being transparent with the community
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. For a longer version, visit communityimpact.com.
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CONROE MONTGOMERY EDITION
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