HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 784 71
RESOLUTION FILE NO.
WHEREAS, the citizens of Fort Worth and the Fort Worth City Council have directed
the Fort Worth Police Department and Police Chief H. F. Hopkins to intensify the fight
against the alarming crime rate in our City, and
WHEREAS, the City Council has shown its commitment to upgrading of the Police
Department by granting special salary increases over the last three years, funding
special recruiting efforts and creating and providing personnel for new programs needed
to fight crime effecively, and
WHEREAS, under Police Chief Hopkins, a whole array of improvements have been
implemented to improve the quality of police service, ranging from recentralization of
the investigative personnel and establishment of a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week command
position to revising and updating the Code of Conduct, improved discipline processes,
frequent consultations with officers' representatives, strong affirmative action
policies, a new 5-year training program, rules requiring restraint in the use of
guns or when in pursuit, an Integrated Criminal Apprehension Program, a Comprehensive
Crime Prevention Program, an expanded patrol program, improved police reserve program,
a new tactical unit, a new supervisor's training program, an improved traffic safety
program, improved criminal investigation techniques, redeployment of patrol officers,
new general orders handbook, computerization of the Internal Affairs Division, use
of applied research to improve police service and a 5-year fiscal program, and
WHEREAS, the Police Department has worked with the District Attorney's Office
through a series of liaison officers, including a special assistant district attorney
at the Police Station to screen all cases filed by Fort Worth Police and three Fort
Worth- policemen stationed at the Tarrant County Courthouse to assist prosecutors.,
to improve the quality of cases filed and relations, and
WHEREAS, the Police Department has worked with judicial officers to train and
improve the performance of Fort Worth policemen during trials, and
WHEREAS, the Police Department in the first five months of 1981 has sent 1,349
cases to the Grand Jury and has had only 122end in a no-bill, and
WHEREAS, the Tarrant County Grand Jury last week issued a special statement in
which it said only 33 of the 626 cases sent to it by the Fort Worth Police Department
in-April, May�and .Tune were no-billed, .or only 5.2 percent which did not result-in
indictments, and praised the Fort Worth Police Department for their work, and
WHEREAS, assessments by prosecutors of police performance at trials and letters
w` from the District Attorney's Office indicate that the Fort Worth Police Department not
only has good relations with the county prosecutors, but also that the quality of work
has improved; and
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CITY OF FORT WORTH
WHEREAS, for the first quarter of 1981, Fort Worth crime statistics showed the
lowest rate of increase of any city in the state -- only a 3 percent rise over the
same time last year, and
WHEREAS, Police Chief Hopkins and the Police Department have made a commitment to
the Fort Worth City Council to continue to improve;
NOW,THEREFORE, LET IT BE RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH,
that the Council acknowledges, commends and supports the Police Department and Police
Chief Hopkins for making great strides in improving police service and combating crime,
and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council pledges to give its continued support to
the Police Department by providing adequate funds and manpower to continue the battle
against crime, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council jlozins City Manager Robert L. Herchert in
expressing full support and confidence in the administration of Police Chief Hopkins
and that the Council recognizes the substantial improvements made in the police
service since Police Chief Hopkins took over in April, 1979, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council calls on all citizens of Fort Worth to
join it in giving full support to the efforts of each and every officer within the
department.
CITY OF FORT WORTH