Fort Worth's crime tax, which city leaders say is a big reason for Cowtown's decrease in crime, is up for vote next month.
Fort Worth is one of the nation's top 10 safest cities in the country, according to Citizens on Patrol, a program funded by the tax. Crime has gone down by 32 percent since the tax began 15 years ago, and homicide numbers in 2008 were at their lowest rate since 1966.
Michael Cohen, of Citizens on Patrol Program, said the city needs the tax.
"I think it's a fantastic program," he said. "It helps keep the city of Fort Worth safe."
The tax funds the crime control and prevention district of Fort Worth. It’s been in place since 1995 and has raised $50 million for the Fort Worth Police Department last year alone.
The tax is a half-cent added to the city's sale's tax and is voted on once every five years. It pays for 64 neighborhood patrol officers, the replacement of 130 patrol cars each year and the staffing of officers at schools. It also pays for Citizens on Patrol, which nearly 1,200 people in Fort Worth participate in.
It passed with 90 percent of the vote the last time it was voted on.
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A group that opposes the tax is no longer at its listed address and its Web site has not been updated in over a year.
