Fort Worth police officers aren’t fans of community oversight, according to a survey
A wide gap exists between Fort Worth residents’ hope for community police oversight and what city officers want, a preliminary report on surveys from Fort Worth’s police monitor reveals.
Though both officers and the public agree the top goal of community oversight should be to advance fair and professional policing, a majority of officers say no community oversight is needed and that it should not involve the investigation of complaints or provide recommendations, according to a survey of officers. A survey of Fort Worth residents shows the opposite: the majority want community oversight.
The findings are a first look at two surveys the police monitor’s office conducted earlier this summer. A full report on the findings will be made public later this week and Police Monitor Kim Neal said she’ll use the survey, along with ongoing community meetings, to shape her recommendation for a community oversight board. That recommendation is expected in October.
Police perception surveys
On a question about community oversight, 52.6% of residents said it is was very important and 19.6% it was somewhat important. Less than 13% said it was not at all important.
Fort Worth police officers disagreed.
That majority, 54.5%, said community oversight was not at all important and nearly 26% said it was a little important. Just 3.3% said community oversight was very important.
Meanwhile, 69.5% of those polled in the police department said de-escalation training is necessary, and more than half noted a need for transparency, community engagement and understanding of the role and actions of police, Neal said. Many also noted that partnerships would be needed to improve community-police relationships.
Many in the department, in response to open-ended questions, said they wanted to have better relationships with the communities they police in the vein of neighborhood patrol officers, instead of just responding to calls, Neal said. Officers see a need for better communication with residents and support increasing social services.
Neal said it appeared some of the officers’ answers mirrored calls for changes from recent protests, but were being “said in different ways.”
“I think they are the equivalent about how to think about those issues, so that’s good to hear,” Neal said.
Of the residents polled, 62% say they have a positive view of the department. While the majority or racial groups believe they’ve been treated fairly, more than 41% of Black respondents disagreed.
On open-ended questions, residents said they see a need for additional mental health resources, after-school programs and other programs that reduce crime.
When presented with various priorities for the community oversight board, both officers and the general public said its priority should be to advance fair and professional policing that responds to the community’s needs. While reviewing complaint investigations and providing feedback landed in the middle of residents’ priorities, it was the lowest priority for the police department.
Neal said she does not see investigating officers as her office’s main objective. It is difficult to create systemic, department-wide changes when investigating one officer or a small group of officers, she said. They most sustainable model is to review department-wide policies and review patterns in policing.
The Fort Worth City Council offered little discussion on the survey during Tuesday’s work session.
“This is critically important work,” Fort Wort Mayor Betsy Price said.
Councilman Carlos Flores told Neal he wanted to make sure community engagement efforts and upcoming meetings would have a Spanish language option and, if needed, sign language.
Who answered the surveys
Neal’s office conducted the two surveys regarding the perception of the Fort Worth Police Department July 23 to Aug. 7. One focused on the community at large and the other on officers. More than half the total sworn officers, 890, responded to the police survey. Nearly 4,000 residents, less than a full percent of Fort Worth’s population, responded to the community survey.
Though not many responded to the community survey, Neal said she was pleased with the result. Her office was created at the beginning of the year and she’s held the post since March. Though she’s had hundreds of conversations with community groups and leaders, it’s likely many of the more than 900,000 people living in the city are unfamiliar with her role. As Neal builds engagement, she said she hopes to increase participation.
“Some response is better than none, so I’ll take that as a positive,” she said.
More surveys are planned for next year.
Neal told the Star-Telegram the civilian responses came from across the city, though most were from the northern suburban neighborhoods. More than 60% identified as women and more than 66% said they are white.
Of the officers who took the survey, more than 60% said they are white and a little less than 80% were men. About a third have more than 20 years of experience.
The city has several virtual meetings planned for the community and police department to discuss the survey and specific ways to improve relations. The meeting are divided by patrol divisions:
North Division - Sept. 18 from 6 to 8 p.m.
South Division - Sept. 19 from 10 a.m. to noon
Northwest Division - Sept. 22 from 6 to 8 p.m.
West Division - Sept. 26 from 10 a.m. to noon
East Division - Sept. 29 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Central - Sept. 30 from 6 to 8 p.m.
People can sign up through the police monitor website: http://fortworthtexas.gov/opom
