Fort Worth Police say they are trying new strategies to prevent violent crime in the city’s popular West 7th entertainment district. It comes after two shootings in March. NBC 5’s Tahera Rahman reports police have more safety plans in the works.
In a briefing to city council members on Tuesday, Fort Worth Police outlined their current and upcoming safety strategies for one of the city's most popular areas: The West 7th Street Entertainment District.
“What we’ve learned: When people congregate, that’s when bad things happen," said Fort Worth Police Department Executive Assistant Chief Robert Alldredge during Tuesday's work session at City Hall.
He said right now, officers use their squad cars to block vehicle traffic on certain roads, so they can get crowds on foot to clear out faster after bars close.
“They bump into each other, next thing you know an argument ensues, and then, you know, some really bad things happen. So, the quicker we can get them out of this area and back to their homes or residences, that helps us out tremendously," Alldredge explained.
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Alldredge said they are working on a bollard project to make that process more efficient.
“They are metal things that come out of the ground that help prevent people driving down the street," he said. The retractable barriers would be used during certain hours and would free up officers.
“This would alleviate us having to put a police car out there. They could be retracted whenever we don’t need them in use, and those officers could be patrolling the area," Alldredge said.
He said the estimated cost of the bollard project is $140,000, and it would come from the Crime Control and Prevention District funds.
Also on the horizon for the W. 7th Entertainment District, Alldredge said:
- More foot and bike patrols: “Kind of get officers out of the cars and rolling around whenever we need them," he said.
- New Flock security cameras in partnership with businesses that would be connected to the police department's system
- New ride-share pickup and drop-off zones that will only be on Currie Street
Alldredge said besides traffic and crowd control, officers are also utilizing other strategies on W. 7th right now, including:
- Improving lighting
- Self-initiating police investigations through developed traffic stops
- Utilizing day-shift officers to help solve homeless person complaints
- A pilot criminal trespass affidavit program: “It’s kind of a global criminal trespass warning, if you will, so that each individual bar does not have to criminal trespass somebody if there is a problem," Alldredge said.
W. 7th Ambassador Program
In the new year, city council members approved an ambassador program for the West 7th District.
“We look at them as our eyes and ears for our police officers to help them out in that district area," Alldredge said.
The CCPD funds would cover the cost of the pilot program, with the goal of a Public Improvement District to be formed and take over the program's funding.
Alldredge said the department was ready to execute the contract with Block by Block, which already runs an ambassador program downtown, but was waiting for the PID to be formed.
On Tuesday, the city council decided to move forward with the pilot program before the PID is established, which staff said would require another vote. Alldredge said the program could get off the ground two to three weeks after the contract is signed.
Safety study
The city has also hired Safe Night LLC to conduct a safety study of all of Fort Worth's entertainment districts.
The study will also come with safety recommendations, training for city staff, and a voluntary accreditation program with training for business owners.
Right now, in phase two, Safe Night is conducting a nightlife analysis, with a report on that expected by the end of August, according to Alldredge's presentation on Tuesday.
"That’s going to focus in on micro-locations, specifically into half-block sizes. We identify not only high-risk places, but priority places for intervention," said Dimitrios Mastoras, Safe Night LLC co-founder.
The renewed focus on safety comes after high-profile crimes in the W. 7th entertainment district, including the fatal shooting of a TCU student last year and more shootings in 2024.
Alldredge said even though neighbors might think the area is unsafe, data indicates it is safer than other entertainment districts in the city when it comes to violent crimes.
He also said crimes against people and properties decreased in W. 7th between 2022 and 2023. He said crimes against society increased by over 40% due to proactive police work.
"Those are some weapon violations, those are narcotics violations, those are our officers out on the street actually being proactive to try to prevent some of the incidents that have occurred in the past," he told city council members.
