Rutledge sworn-in as police chief

TODD MISSION – Ryan Rutledge was sworn-in as police chief for the City of Todd Mission Friday, March 11, by Todd Mission City Manager Neal Wendele.

Rutledge, who retired from Grimes County Sheriff’s Office in February, after serving 20 years with the department, decided to pursue a career as Todd Mission Police Chief. “I saw there was an opportunity to come here and kind of change things up going from a county to a city,” explained Rutledge.

Although newly swornin, Rutledge is familiar with the department and the area. “I have always worked here during the Texas Renaissance Festival (TRF), and I got to know the area pretty well.”

Rutledge has worked with several police departments during his tenure on the Brazos County Narcotics Task Force. “I’ve worked with College Station and Bryan Police Departments as well as other departments within the jurisdiction of the task force.

I decided I’d like to try the police life out,” he explained.

“Policing is pretty-much the same whether working for a county or a city. It is just a more confined area that you work when working for a city,” he said. Todd Mission currently covers approximately 2.7 square miles and is home to roughly 150 residents and 75 households. But growth is on the horizon.

Todd Mission has Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) that reaches into Montgomery and Waller Counties. There is a 5,700-acre subdivision in the planning phase. With the opening of Texas State Highway 249, the commute to Houston is less than half an hour. The subdivision is anticipated to bring in approximately 7,000 new homes. Once the subdivision is complete, homes in the ETJ will be annexed into the City of Todd Mission.

Rutledge said he has spoken with several residents in town who said living here is like having their own piece of Heaven. “I want to keep it that way,” stated Rutledge.

Early on Rutledge wanted to follow in the footsteps of his uncle, John Rutledge, who spent his entire career with Nacogdoches Police Department. “The whole reason I got into law enforcement was because of my uncle,” said Rutledge. “I remember as a kid riding with him and him taking me around in his patrol car. Back in those days you could do that. All the stories he told made the job seem fun and challenging.”

Rutledge graduated from TEEX Central Texas Police Academy in Bryan in 2001. “I’ve always tried to lead by example and do what my uncle taught me and carry on his legacy,” explained Rutledge. Those traits and lessons learned on the job have prepared him for leadership roles. “Treat everybody the way you want them to treat you and that applies to citizens and staff. Always do the right thing even at times it is hard to do.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Todd Mission PD dropped from a five-person department to one. “I’d like to grow the department back to where it was before the pandemic,” said Rutledge.

Since being hired, two full-time and one part-time officer have been hired. There are also two reserve officers. “There are many years of law enforcement experience in the department. It is neat that all fulltime officers, the part time officer and one of the reserve officers are all Master Peace Officers, which is the highest level of law enforcement you can receive. That is rare to have that many Master Peace Officers in one department.”

Rutledge swore-in full-time officers, Ryan Schroeder who worked for Grimes County for over 20 years, and Steven Siracusa, who began with Grimes County as a jailer and worked his way through the ranks. “We have officers who have experience with canines, drugs, auto thefts and more.”

Rutledge is married to Megan, and he has two children, 19-year-old Trenton who is in the U.S. Air Force, and six-year-old Maylee.