In response to increases in violent crime, the Fort Worth Police Department has expanded its violent crime initiative called #FortWorthSafe.
“Safety, wellness and resiliency. In its most simple form, that is our violent crime strategy,” said Police Chief Neil Noakes. “It doesn’t matter what ZIP code you live in, what neighborhood you live in, we all deserve to be safe. And that’s what #FortWorthSafe is all about.”
#FortWorthSafe is a crime reduction initiative focused on violent crimes such as homicide, robbery, shootings and aggravated assault. #FortWorthSafe includes an enforcement component as well as a community outreach component addressing deficiencies in communities that increase the likelihood of violent crime occurring.
The department’s goal, — which Noakes called “an ambitious one” — is to reduce violent crime by 10% in 12 months.
“We will be working with community members to root out the people and conditions that are contributing to violent crime,” Noakes said, emphasizing that the effort will be an intelligence-led, data-driven initiative.
Mayor Mattie Parker acknowledged that violent crime is increasing in large cities across the nation. “Unfortunately, Fort Worth is not insulated from that conversation,” she said. “While the overall crime rate is down 40%, our violent crime rate has risen dramatically, most recently during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Parker, who co-chairs a U.S. Conference of Mayors task force that addresses crime in large cities, said: “We will not stop until every single community member in every ZIP code feels safe in their homes, their parks, their neighborhood.”
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