Fort Worth could create police citizen review board

FORT WORTH, Texas - Police officers in Fort Worth may have to answer to more questions from outsiders. The city manager supports the idea of a civilian review board.

Fort Worth City Manager David Cooke agrees a citizen review board should oversee the police department in an effort to improve race relations in the city.

The idea came from the Race and Culture Task Force, which presented the city with 22 recommendations back in December. The group was brought in to help after the controversial 2016 arrest of Jacqueline Craig and her daughters.

The civilian review board has been the most controversial of the recommendations but Cooke said its power would be limited.

“The citizen’s review board won’t be able to conduct their own independent investigations. So they’re more review and advisory in nature. They don’t conduct their own investigations and they won’t have subpoena power,” he said.

Cooke said the board will be comprised of nine members recommended by him and approved by the city council. He also wants a civilian police monitor to take complaints from the public about the department.

Currently Fort Worth is the only major Texas city without a police review board.