FWPD Awarded COPS Hiring Grant
In September 2014, FWPD was awarded the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program grant, designed to advance public safety through community policing by addressing full-time sworn officer needs of law
enforcement agencies nationwide. The federal grant program provides funds directly to law enforcement agencies to hire new and/or rehire veteran law enforcement officers to increase the agencies’ community policing capacities and crime prevention efforts. FWPD was awarded $1.9 million from the COPS Office for the three year program which provides a total of fifteen new officer positions. Required grant matching funds in the amount of $1.5 million was provided through the Crime Control and Prevention District. Through the grant program, five officer positions will be created to staff a Real Time Crime Center (RTCC), which will assist police officers by providing real-time reports, information, support, tips, leads, and monitoring, thereby delivering a proactive approach to law enforcement in developing and dynamic situations. The RTCC will also perform supplemental investigative work, providing data-mining support to detectives in complex cases, especially cold cases where additional in-depth research may find clues not available by other means. Ultimately, the RTCC will engage in information-sharing with potential regional partners and neighboring agencies to provide cross- jurisdictional support. Ten additional grant-funded positions will support the creation of a sixth Zero Tolerance (ZT) team. The ZT Section, in the Tactical Operations Division, currently consists of five teams, each containing eight officers, one detective/corporal, and one sergeant. ZT Section personnel effectively and efficiently act as crime suppression officers. In dynamic situations and special events, ZT teams will work closely with the RTCC, creating increased intelligence capacity and information-sharing, flowing from the RTCC centralized hub to the field and back.
FWPD Hosts Citizens Crime Prevention Academy
The Crime Prevention Unit presented a Citizens Crime Prevention Academy in the month of June in an effort to better educate community leaders and citizens on how to reduce their chance of becoming a victim of crime. Some of the training topics included identity theft, home security, personal safety, and homeland security.
The training provided through the academy will help encourage citizens and neighbors to assist the department in making Fort Worth safe by preventing opportunities for crime to occur.
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