Fort Worth Police Department Strategic Plan
but the community must be an active part of maintaining it once we disrupt or eradicate the criminal elements. Continuous community involvement creates sustainable crime reductions, so absent a strong partnership between the Department and the community we cannot achieve our goal of becoming the safest large city in America.
Operational Improvements Operational improvements advance the delivery of quality police services and enable the department to meet short and long-term goals. In order to address the emergent challenges that confront all law enforcement agencies, it is critical that FWPD make modifications to the operational structure to address inefficiencies. For example, the January 2016 return to a traditional beat concept facilitates the connection between every patrol officer and the neighborhoods they serve. In contrast to the eight years away from the beat concept, newer officers are now learning the importance of beat integrity, beat accountability, and the value of familiarity
with residents and business owners, and their role in proactive crime prevention. The revision of dispatch policies during the last 6-months and the addition of the Patrol All-Call channel, enhanced officer safety, continues to improve our response to crime, and ensures police supervisors maximize the efficient deployment of patrol officers. Another example is the use of Neighborhood Police Officers (NPOs) to train beat officers in the Field Training Program in community relations and community problem solving. It reinforces the FWPD expectation that every officer attempt to solve the problems relating to each call in the attempt to prevent repeat calls to the same locations. This applied concept will lead to reduced calls for service, decreases in workload, and increased disposable time dedicated to preventive patrol activities. As public confidence in police rises and the department enjoys additional community cooperation, calls for service may increase over time, as the public becomes more comfortable contacting the police. Adding officers pursuant to workload will reduce the calls for service and workload per officer, allowing more time for preventative patrol activities. The continuous reevaluation of department policies and procedures in contrast to state and national law enforcement best practices, as established by accrediting bodies like the Texas Police Chiefs Association and CALEA, also ensure an ongoing commitment to improved operational efficiency. Technology Development and Infrastructure Expansion An expanding reliance upon technology has transformed policing in many ways. New and emergent technologies have increasingly critical roles in the daily work of officers; and largely dictate the probability that a department meets the expectations of citizens. Enhancements in technology, like unfettered police officer access to Omega Crime Dashboard from police vehicles, the new FWPD Resource Guide, and an active and well- equipped Real Time Crime Center, makes it easier to transmit dynamic information to officers, and provides them contemporary enforcement and investigative tools. In order to support current and future operational needs, existing police facilities should also be flexible, adaptive, and supportive enough to facilitate change. The projected development and investment into new facilities and infrastructure will be critical to accommodating
Introduction
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