Fort Worth Expected To Name New Police Chief From 6 Finalist By End Of Month
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Building community trust and holding officers accountable were two big topics discussed by the final six candidates vying to become Fort Worth's next police chief.
The candidates met for a forum to answer questions submitted by community members.
"What's needed in this space is absolute crystalline direction set by the leadership of an organization that certain behaviors will not be tolerated," said Derek Miller, the current chief in Carrollton.
"I think it should be woven into every officer's duty and responsibility to serve the community that they are a part of" said Troy Gay, the assistant chief in Austin. "I say that because our officers should be part of the community that we serve."
"We need to listen to the community and more importantly we need to listen to our critics," said Christopher Jones, an assistant sheriff from Las Vegas. "They will tell us when we're getting it wrong."
The group also answered questions about the rising crime rate and how best to tackle it.
"I believe in a collaborative approach, whether it be looking at crimes or reducing calls," said Wendy Baimbridge, an assistant chief in Houston. "You've got to look at it both the same to be efficient."
Another hot topic was recruiting, and how to increase diversity within the department.
"I actually started a campaign to try to target women and minorities in the community, and I started it in 2019," said Julie Swearingin, a high-ranking chief already within the department.
"Something that I hear people in law enforcement say frequently is, 'well we tried,'" said Neil Noakes, also a high-ranking chief in the department.
The finalists also met with panels of residents and city officials.
The final choice is expected to be made by the end of the month.
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