Mattie Parker: After West 7th murder, we’re working to make such districts safer | Opinion

Our city, especially the TCU community, is still reeling from the devastating murder of Wes Smith, a remarkable young man who touched numerous lives, including my own son’s as his football coach, in his 21 years on earth.

Any innocent life taken in our city is one too many. Wes’s murder struck a different chord with me not only because I knew Wes personally, but also because it took place in one of Fort Worth’s most successful entertainment districts, created with city planning. You cannot always protect people from evil, but I’m determined more than ever to make Fort Worth safer for everyone.

Our Fort Worth Police Department has worked tirelessly to improve safety, and officers have made incredible strides. By taking a proactive approach in the West 7th area, for instance, they have seized 108 guns, recovered 19 occupied stolen vehicles, and cleared 36 felony warrants in the last year.

Our police officers also address homeless and panhandling disturbances, and they work to deter crime by interacting with potentially dangerous individuals before they can cause trouble later in the evening. Tools like our Real Time Crime Center help police monitor and react quickly to incidents if they occur.

Next week, your City Council will approve the annual budget, and we’ll bolster additional public safety investments in communities citywide. The proposed budget includes additional investments in the tools we know are working, as well as 106 new positions in the Fort Worth Police Department, with additions to both the Homeless Outreach Programs and Enforcement Unit and the Crisis Intervention Team.

But as we make the investments our police department needs, we must do what we can to ensure dangerous criminals who are arrested aren’t given lenient probation, such as with the suspect in Wes’s death. We are talking with our partners in the Tarrant County district attorney’s office to see how we can better work together to keep violent criminals off our streets.

To keep residents and visitors safe, we are also taking action to ensure that high-volume entertainment districts in particular across our city have increased resources and support.

I’ve been meeting with West 7th bar owners recently, and I’m encouraged by their collaboration and willingness to help make their businesses as safe as they can be. Going forward, together with stakeholders from West 7th, the Historic Stockyards, downtown and Near Southside, we’ll promote responsible bar behavior with a bar certification program.

Working with the Texas Bar and Nightclub Alliance, the city and Police Department will create ongoing safety training for business owners and employee, so that they have the tools to keep patrons and their establishments safer. This will include a voluntary pledge by bar owners to commit to hiring off-duty police officers as security guards, passing ongoing safety inspections by fire marshals and code enforcement teams and screening customers with hand wands as they enter bars.

As we work toward the ultimate creation of a West 7th Public Improvement District, I intend to build out a West 7th Ambassadors program that works similarly to how such a program downtown functions. That will give us more eyes and ears on the ground and a helpful resource for visitors who need it.

City planning many years ago did not anticipate the large entertainment districts that Fort Worth has now, so we must also work to create safer environments for area residents and employees. That can be done with city tools such as high-intensity streetlights at key locations.

Additionally, the City Council approved a zoning ordinance text amendment Tuesday, spearheaded by District 9 council member Elizabeth Beck, that helps us think more responsibly about our entertainment districts and encourages thoughtful planning of future large bars in the city.

As the fastest-growing city in the country, we must prioritize growing in a smart way that accounts for quality-of-life for our residents.

This list isn’t exhaustive, but it’s a step forward in making sure Fort Worth is safer for all who live, work and play here. I’m committed to getting this right by working collaboratively with my fellow council members, city staff, Fort Worth police and business owners. I’m confident that together, we will make a significant difference.

This story was originally published September 14, 2023 at 5:27 AM.