Fort Worth’s inaugural director on police oversight will soon leave her position, city officials announced Tuesday.
Kim Neal joined the city of Fort Worth in early 2020. As director of the Office of Police Oversight Monitor, Neal is credited for leading efforts to finalize the model used for independent monitoring of the Fort Worth Police Department.
“In hearing from our community members from across the city, we know they have heard about our office. They are excited about our office. It’s almost like we started this year as opposed to 2020,” Neal said. “More people are interreacting with our office. Sometimes it doesn’t always amount to a complaint.”
The position stems from a recommendation made by Fort Worth’s Race and Culture Task Force. Bob Ray Sanders served as co-chair of the task force.
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CITY OF FORT WORTH
“She’s only been here like two and a half years, but that office has grown,” Sander said. “Back in the old days, one of the things we realized on the task force was that a lot of people didn’t really trust the internal affairs division of the police department. They wanted someone overlooking that procedure.”
Neal was formerly executive director for the Citizens Complaint Authority, an independent law enforcement investigation agency in Cincinnati. She said Tuesday, one of the biggest tasks before her office remains the ongoing discussion of whether the city of Fort Worth will adopt a civilian police review board.
The topic was discussed during the city council work session Tuesday, though there was no vote.
“I think another task, I won’t say it’s a challenge…is to really get the restorative justice mediation program. The information about it into the community,” Neal said. “I feel like we’ve made a lot of accomplishments here. So, I’m hopeful the office will continue.”
Neal’s work in Fort Worth will wrap up in late November before she sets up a similar program in Virginia.
According to Fort Worth city manager David Cooke, the city plans to recruit another person with similar knowledge and experience as Neal.
