Sheriffs Chuck and Colton Havard, the first father-son duo elected in Southeast Texas, have capitalized on their collaboration.
NEWTON COUNTY, Texas — A father and son who made history as the first duo elected as sheriffs in Southeast Texas say their first year in office has been defined by collaboration that led to major arrests across county lines, including a high-profile murder case and the takedown of a dog fighting ring.
Jasper County Sheriff Chuck Havard and his son, Newton County Sheriff Colton Havard, sat down with 12News to look back on their first year in office, saying that working together has helped them move faster, share resources and “crack major cases across county lines.”
“Sometimes the county lines, it doesn’t matter,” Chuck Havard said, noting that criminals do not stop at jurisdictional boundaries. “The Jasper and Newton County line isn’t much of a barrier for criminals and these two sheriffs say it can’t be one for law enforcement either.”
After completing their first year in office, both sheriffs said their close relationship has been key to their success.
“It’s good to have your son to bounce ideas off of,” Chuck Havard said. “We’ve been able to work really close together and able to accomplish a lot in the first year. I think a lot of it is just because of our relationship.”
Colton Havard echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the impact of combining resources between the two counties.
“When you combine the forces, it’s a force multiplier, you know, against the criminal element in the two counties,” he said.
That teamwork played a critical role in several high-profile investigations, including Operation Pitbull, which led to the arrest of 45 people at a dog fighting ring in Newton County.
Chuck Havard said the operation required rapid coordination among multiple agencies.
“He only had about an hour to get as many people and assets as we could,” he said. “A bunch of agencies helped us, but even with everything that we were able to put together in an hour, we still could easily use 10 or 15 more police officers. But we used his equipment, our equipment, and so we got the job done.”
Another major moment came in the Joshua Larkin murder case, where investigators from both counties worked side by side to make arrests three years after Larkin’s disappearance.
“I think back in March or April, Jasper County received a pretty substantial tip about the Larkin case,” Colton Havard said. “So my investigators and the Jasper County investigators were able to get together, and we were able to make arrests.”
While Jasper and Newton counties differ in size and geography, both sheriffs said their proximity and communication keep them closely connected.
“We’re much more rural over Newton County, but we’re always a phone call away from each other,” Colton Havard said.
Chuck Havard added, “Sometimes we talk a lot, sometimes we don’t, but obviously he knows to call and I’ll do whatever and same with him. It’s been great. I’ve been very proud of him.”
Looking ahead to 2026, both sheriffs said they plan to continue focusing on reducing violent crime, expanding jail capacity in Jasper County, and cracking down on illegal drugs in Newton County.