Community group protests police brutality, pushes for police reforms in Fort Worth
Protest group United My Justice halted its marches against police brutality over the last month to develop a police reform plan for the Fort Worth City Council.
But on Saturday, the group took to the streets to remind people that its fight is not over.
Fifteen to 20 people rallied around 3 p.m. near the Fort Worth Police and Firefighters Memorial to share their experiences with police brutality before marching on West 7th Street two hours later.
They marched with a coffin donated by Bedford Memorial Funeral Home in remembrance of every Black person killed by police, said Donnell Ballard, president of the group, which aims to facilitate social change through peaceful demonstration, community education and civic cooperation, according to its Facebook page.
Among those gathered was Dee Crane, the mother of Tavis Crane, 23, who was killed by an Arlington police officer on Feb. 1, 2017.
She said there is a need for reform, especially when an officer can kill someone and keep his or her job.
Too many times, Black people have been treated with no respect, she said, maintaining that officers fear Black people because of internalized stereotypes.
“Black mothers today are still crying in the streets,” she said. “No different than they did [during] slavery.”
Ballard said the group shifted its focus over the last few weeks to devise a plan to reform the Fort Worth Police Department. The ideas include having a citizen’s review board and having an external investigation when an officer gets into trouble.
Protests have the power to create change, he said, but added that the time has come to talk with city leaders and execute a reform plan.
“We just got to continue to push on the city officials,” he said.
Amid national cries to reallocate money from police departments to municipal social services, voters approved Tuesday the continuation of a half-cent sales tax devoted to the Fort Worth Police budget since 1995.
The tax will provide Fort Worth police with an additional $1 billion through 2030. Critics said the money would be better spent on community-based nonprofits or by improving transportation.
Ballard and United My Justice urged people to vote against the tax. He said now that this money has been approved, the city should not use it for items like military-grade equipment but instead should pour it into educational programs for the community and retraining officers to better handle situations that have in the past caused the death of Black people.
City council officials continue to communicate with them, Ballard said. If nothing is done or there is a delay in changes, the group will continue to put pressure on elected officials through protests and rallies such as the one held Saturday.
“It’s time to sit at the table,” Ballard said.
