Introduction
Fort Worth was incorporated in 1873 and is now one of the fastest growing cities in the nation with 781,100 residents in 2014. Covering 350 square miles, Fort Worth is the fifth largest city in Texas and the sixteenth largest in the United States. Fort Worth continues to grow and prosper as a destination for business creation and expansion, world-class museums, and recreational attractions. Fort Worth’s humble beginnings in the late 1800s have shaped the modern police force the Fort Worth Police Department (FWPD) has since become. Technological advances in the twentieth century helped the department keep pace with the challenges of a growing city. However, reminiscent of its wild frontier days, crime became rampant in the late 1980s and early 1990s, giving Fort Worth one of the highest crime rates in the nation. To respond, FWPD adopted the community-oriented policing philosophy, in which the department formed partnerships throughout the city, including neighborhood organizations, businesses, and volunteers, to organize a grassroots, community-based campaign to fight crime. Fort Worth continues to utilize the community-policing model through Neighborhood Patrol Officers assigned to each beat, Citizens on Patrol Program, and community forums. The coupling of community-oriented and intelligence-led policing has enhanced the department’s abilities to address criminal activity throughout the city, creating one of the safest communities in the nation.
2014 Highlights
Voters approved five-year renewal of Crime Control and Prevention District (CCPD) Several FWPD facilities opened, including Tactical Center, indoor Weapons Range at Public Safety Complex, Mounted Patrol Equestrian Center, and One Safe Place (Safe City Commission) Department awarded Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring grant to hire 15 additional officers to staff a Real Time Crime Center and sixth Zero Tolerance Team Created 20-year Police Facilities Plan Began update of Five-Year Strategic Plan Expansion of FWPD social media
Change of Command
In late 2014, Chief Jeffrey W. Halstead announced his intention to retire from the Fort Worth Police Department after six years of service as Chief of Police. Assistant Chief Rhonda K. Robertson was selected to serve as Chief in the interim as a nation-wide search for the next Fort Worth Police Chief is conducted. The change of command ceremony from Chief Halstead to Chief Robertson occurred in January 2015.
Chief Jeffrey W. Halstead
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