Vandalized Fort Worth restaurant awaits police response, puzzled by text system promising quick action
FORT WORTH — A new text notification system implemented by the Fort Worth Police Department called "Power Engage" is designed to provide citizens with quicker responses to various crime calls. However, the system has left one local restaurant confused, and still waiting, following a recent vandalism incident.
"We are still waiting for someone to get back to us," said The Cookshack owner, Mark Rogers.
Abigail Reyes was one of the employees working Monday night at The Cookshack off University Drive in Fort Worth when she said someone threw a rock at the door in the middle of their busy dinner rush and ran off. "it was a loud bang and the glass shattered everywhere," Reyes recalled.
Rogers said the restaurant had a break-in two weeks earlier, where vandals broke the door and tried to steal money.
"That's the first time in 6 years since we opened that we've had any major issue. Then two weeks later, we have the destruction last night, which scared our employees and our guests," said Rogers.
Employees said they called 911 multiple times and got a text message in response saying in part, "Due to heavy call volume, you are encouraged to make a police report online."
"It was hard hearing that because you want somebody to be there to offer comfort for your employees and your guests," Rogers said.
The Fort Worth Police Department said the incident at The Cookshack was considered a "criminal mischief call," which is a lower priority because the suspects ran away and were not described.
"We want with anything that's going on. If you see this happen somewhere else, please let us know, this is a priority to all of us. But, with this particular call, it becomes a lower priority due to the fact of other calls and more be maybe more major in the city," Officer Tracy Carter with the Fort Worth Police Department said.
Carter said the text message was part of "Power Engage," and each message is adapted to the level of call. According to the department, community members will receive a text message letting them know their call was received and provide their incident number and the police non-emergency number for updates.
According to the Fort Worth Police Department, in certain low-priority call types, community members will receive a text letting them know that there has been a delay in dispatch, but that we are still working on getting an officer out to them and providing them with our number to call if they no longer need assistance or if anything has changed.
The department adds, that on certain low-priority call types, community members will receive a text letting them know that there has been a delay in dispatch, but that we are still working on getting an officer out to them, and provide them with our number to call if they no longer need assistance or if anything has changed. On certain call types, community members will receive a text message survey about how they felt about how the 911 call-taker handled the call and the opportunity to provide feedback.
"It is important that everyone knows that these surveys should not be used to report any type of emergency or crime. As always, call 9-1-1 for any emergency or to report any criminal activity," Fort Worth police said.
"Some of those messages give us the chance to be able to offer the people the ability to make a report online," Carter said.
Carter admits they are working out bugs and that the text was inaccurate that night. He said the department did not have a high call volume Monday and that there is not a rise in crime in the University Drive area.
"I'm not going to say there's a rise in crime, but I'll tell you that there's sometimes a rise in opportunity. We ask that you don't put things visible that people may/can damage or take," Carter said.
"We're working through to try to see where we can be better," Carter said. "We found out the language could be better and what we could do is probably get back to people a little bit sooner and we're going to work at doing that."
Police said they plan to send someone out to the restaurant if an investigation is warranted, But Rogers said no one has responded yet.
"I'd like to say, patiently waiting. But it's probably just waiting at this point," he said.
