Fort Worth’s proposed board aims to include a community voice in the police force

The proposed board in Fort Worth has goals of greater transparency and accountability when it comes to policing.

On Tuesday, Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes briefed City Council members on the Community Advisory Council, which aims to encourage Fort Worth residents to work with the police department in a collaborative task force to “advance the goal of fair, just, and dignified treatment of the people.” everyone.”

The proposed council will replace the former Police Advisory Committee, which was dissolved a few years ago. The former council had a maximum of 13 members and met twice a year, which Chief Noakes noted was both over-represented by the police department and under-collected.

“Trust can be destroyed overnight, but trust cannot be built overnight. There is a long history of distrust of the police in some Fort Worth communities. It’s something we’ve been working on for a long time,” Noakes said on Tuesday.

According to his presentation, the proposed public advisory board would work with both the police department and the Police Supervision Authority to review police policies, procedures and practices.

The council will have up to 19 members, whose responsibilities will include reviewing and understanding the policies and procedures of the Fort Worth Police Department. Members may also collect, evaluate and discuss information regarding change recommendations.

The presentation of the proposed council follows a refresh from the Police Enforcement Administration, which is currently undertaking a nationwide search for a new director after Kim Neil announced in October 2022 that she had taken on a new position near Washington, D.C.

District 8 Councilman Chris Nettles expressed concern that the two issues were sequentially placed on the agenda, suggesting that it gave the impression that work was being done “behind closed doors”.

Gina Bivens, District 5 council member, also raised concerns about who was included in the proposal process.

“I see people who are well-intentioned but know very little about real city processes,” Councilman Bivens said. “There are no votes to influence this change, so you won’t see me lament publicly, but I’ll recognize the game when I see it.”

According to the City of Fort Worth, a comprehensive training program for board appointees will be developed by the Director of the Office of Police Oversight in collaboration with the City Manager’s Office, the City Attorney, the Chief Justice Officer, and the Chief of Police.

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