Abbreviation FWPD Population 748,450 (2011) | Size 334 sq mi | |
 | ||
Legal personality Governmental: Government agency Operations jurisdiction* City of Fort Worth in the state of Texas, USA General nature Law enforcement
Local civilian police | ||
The Fort Worth Police Department is a police department of Fort Worth, Texas, United States. The chief as of 2015 is Joel Fitzgerald. FWPD is responsible for traffic and general law enforcement within the city limits of Fort Worth. Specialty divisions include investigation, K-9, bicycle patrol, and SWAT.
Contents
History
The Fort Worth Police Department was effectively begun on April 12, 1873 when E.M. Terrell was appointed City Marshal with a force of four officers. However, the force was disbanded a month later for economic reasons. The force was re-established in 1876 to cope with unruly cowboys and high levels of prostitution, with Jim Courtright being instated as City Marshal with two assisting deputies. Courtright's reputation as an Army scout and gunfighter led to an unprecedented term of nonviolence in Fort Worth. By 1887, the force had grown to six officers and a Chief of Police.
The early twentieth century saw many innovations to the FWPD, including motorcycles, traffic tickets, stoplights, and the city's first female officer. The mid-1900s saw even more technological advances, with the addition of a crime laboratory and radar speed detectors. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, the department sought to establish better links to the community, instituting programs such as "forums," a series of monthly department-citizen meetings, and the Citizens on Patrol program.
In 2008, after the retirement of Chief Ralph Mendoza, Executive Deputy Patricia Kneblick was briefly appointed interim chief, making her the first woman ever to be appointed Chief of Police in Fort Worth. Jeffrey Halstead, a Commander with the Phoenix Police Department, replaced Kneblick in December 2008, making him the city's 24th chief.
In 2015, Joel Fitzgerald became the 1st African-American police chief of the city. Fitzgerald is an alumnus of Harvard University and Northwestern University.
Uniforms
The department's uniforms and badges have changed multiple times before the present standards. Early uniforms were all produced in various shades of blue, with garments ranging from coats with brass buttons to cloaks. Headwear was particularly diverse - depending on the uniform, officers in the early 1900s wore custodian helmets, ten-gallon cowboy hats, or slouched hats resembling those of Civil War cavalrymen.
The department has worn five different badges throughout its history; the current design, which features a shield topped by a panther, was first worn in 1912. The current patch design, which features a star and longhorn head, was adopted in 1977.
The current uniform consists of a navy blue shirt and pants with black tactical boots. The badge is worn on the left chest, and patches are worn on either shoulder. Ceremonial dress is similar to the duty uniform, with the addition of a white fourragère, cotton gloves, white duty belt and pouches, and a navy blue peaked cap. Officers often wear black felt (winter) or straw (summer) cowboy hats as part of the uniform (as do many other police agencies in Texas).
Organization
The Fort Worth Police Department is divided into five Patrol Divisions: Central, North, South, East, and West, each encompassing various areas of the city. Divisions are further divided into four Neighborhood Policing Districts each.
The general areas of the city included in each Patrol Division are:
Central Division - Capt. Daniel Humphries, Commander
North Division - Capt. Martin Salinas, Commander
East Division - Capt. Arthur Barclay, Commander
West Division - Capt. Linda Stuart, Commander
South Division - Capt. Ed Kraus, Commander
Vehicles
The Fort Worth Police Department uses primarily sedans as patrol vehicles. All marked patrol units are painted in a traditional black-and-white color scheme. Older vehicles exhibit the word "Police" on the front quarter panel and the rear doors, with the words "Fort Worth" printed in black over an orange-tan longhorn head (the city's logo) on the front doors; newer vehicles place the word "Police" below the longhorn on the front door, and across the hood of the car in white.
The Fort Worth Police Department's primary replacement to the Ford Crown Victoria is the Ford Police Interceptor. SUVs are used solely for commercial vehicle enforcement and accident investigations. The department's Traffic Division also utilizes a large fleet of motorcycles to complete its duties.
Patrol Vehicles
Trucks
Aircraft
Tactical
Line-of-duty deaths
Since the establishment of the Fort Worth Police Department, 56 officers have died in the line of duty.
The causes of death are as follows:
Fallen officers are recognized publicly at the Fort Worth Police and Firefighters' Memorial on 7th Street.