A proposed board in Fort Worth has goals of more transparency and accountability when it comes to policing.
On Tuesday, Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes briefed city council members on the Community Advisory Board which aims to encourage Fort Worth residents to work with the police department in a collaborative working group to “further the goal of fair, just, and dignified treatment of every person."
The proposed board would replace the former Police Advisory Committee, which was dissolved several years ago. The former board had a maximum of 13 members and met twice yearly, which Chief Noakes noted was both over-represented by police department staff and did not meet enough.
“Trust can be broken overnight, but trust can’t be built overnight. There is a long history with mistrust of police, with some communities in Fort Worth. That’s something we have been working on for a long time,” Noakes said Tuesday.
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According to his presentation, the proposed Community Advisory Board would collaborate with both the police department and the Office of the Police Oversight Monitor to review police policies, procedures, and practices.
The board would include up to 19 members, whose duties would include reviewing and understanding the Fort Worth Police Department policies and procedures. Members could also gather, evaluate, and discuss information relative to recommending changes.
The presentation on the proposed board followed an update on the Office of the Police Oversight Monitor, which is currently undergoing a nationwide search for a new director after Kim Neal announced in Oct. 2022 she had taken a new position near Washington, D.C.
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District 8 Councilmember Chris Nettles raised concerns over the two items being placed on the agenda consecutively, suggesting it gives the impression that work is being done “behind closed doors."
A concern was also raised by District 5 Councilmember Gyna Bivens over who was included in the proposal process.
“I see people who are well-meaning people but who know very little about actual city processes,” Councilmember Bivens said. “There are no votes to influence a change in this change, so you will not see me publicly lamenting but I know the game when I see it.”
According to the city of Fort Worth, a comprehensive training program for board appointees will be developed by the Office of the Police Oversight Monitor’s director, in cooperation with the City Manager’s Office, city attorney, chief equity officer and police chief.
