Fort Worth’s homicide rate made the presidential debate stage. What does it look like?
Fort Worth made a quick splash during the first presidential debate on Tuesday night as an example of a Republican-led city with a spike in homicide rates.
President Donald Trump has claimed over the last few months that Democratic-run cities are “rampant with crime.” His argument is that if Democratic cities can’t control their crime, then former Vice President Joe Biden won’t be able to either.
When debate moderator Chris Wallace asked Trump about his comments, he asked, “You often blame that on Democratic mayors and Democratic governors, but in fact there have been equivalent spikes in Republican-led cities like Tulsa and Fort Worth, so the question is, Is this really a party issue?”
Trump responded quickly that yes, he thinks it’s a party issue, and then he began talking about Chicago’s crime rates. The president didn’t talk about Fort Worth or any other Republican-led cities.
But what do the homicide rates in Fort Worth really look like? And what involvement does Mayor Betsy Price have in controlling the city’s crime?
Homicides increased the first six months of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, rising from 36 in 2019 to 40 this year, according to the Police Department. In 2018, there were 59 homicides, followed by 71 last year, and 76 as of Sept. 30 this year. Homicides have increased every year since 2018.
Deputy City Manager Jay Chapa said on Wednesday the increase is part of a nationwide trend.
The latest statistics will be presented during the next council meeting on Oct. 20, Chapa said.
From what he’s seen, the homicides have mostly been crimes related to domestic and gang violence.
“It looks like everything has to do with people who know each other already,” Chapa said.
Asked if he believes the increase in homicides locally is a party issue, Chapa said no.
“I think that’s the national rhetoric,” he said. “I don’t think it has anything to do with either the increase of homicides this year in Fort Worth or across the country.”
Fort Worth has a council-manager form of government, versus a “strong mayor” government. This means that the city manager (David Cooke) is the chief executive officer of the city, not Price.
The mayor and City Council (which are non-partisan positions) hire the city manager, which is also a non-partisan position.
“Then the City Council and the mayor each have one vote that go toward making decisions on policies and spending, contracts, appropriations that are brought forward by the city manager as a recommendation,” Chapa said.
The police chief reports to Chapa, not Price.
Price agrees, the homicide rate is not a partisan issue.
“While I acknowledge Fort Worth’s homicide percentage increase is eye-catching, when looking at the raw data our numbers are lower than other major cities,” the mayor said on Wednesday. “The unfortunate reality is crime has increased across the nation, and Fort Worth is not immune ... I do not see this as a partisan issue as one life lost is too many.”
This story was originally published September 30, 2020 at 12:57 PM.
