Fort Worth violent crime reduction initiative expands ahead of World Cup
FORT WORTH, Texas - A joint effort to tackle violent crime in Fort Worth is expanding ahead of the World Cup.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
What we know:
On Tuesday morning, the Department of Justice announced the second phase of Project Safe Neighborhoods in Tarrant County.
The operation is a partnership between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies aimed at reducing violent crime.
The expanded area encompasses neighborhoods and commercial areas east and west along Interstate 35W, with Interstate 30 at the northern border and Seminary Drive near the southern border.
Project Safe Neighborhood launching in Northwest Dallas to address violent crime
A new initiative to combat organized crime in Dallas was announced Tuesday. The operation will involve Homeland Security and federal funding, but officials say it's different than ICE operations in Minnesota.
What they're saying:
"The newly expanded Fort Worth PSN zone is an area plagued with violence, gangs, drugs, and firearm offenses," said Ryan Raybould, a United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.
At the news conference, officials revealed that more than 80 Glock switches were confiscated in the Fort Worth area during the first phase of the project. They essentially turn pistols into machine guns.
"The good citizens of Fort Worth, your neighborhood is just about to be safe because of this collaboration," said Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn.
The Drug Enforcement Administration said it is focused on getting narcotics, including fentanyl, off the streets.
"When you look at drug trafficking, it’s inevitably linked to violent crime from the extreme violence of transnational criminal associations to street-level dealers," said Joseph Tucker, the Special Agent in Charge of DEA Dallas.
Big picture view:
The law enforcement officials noted the importance of targeting violent crime in the area ahead of the FIFA World Cup games coming to North Texas in June.
"While we’re just a few months out from matches starting here, we are years into planning. And when I saw we, I mean that truly as a regional effort," said Joe Rothrock, the Special Agent in Charge of FBI Dallas. "We are well-positioned to respond to whatever may arise throughout that tournament, and we’ll continue to meet and prepare as we build up to the World Cup.
The Source: FOX 4's Alex Boyer gathered information for this story from a Project Safe Neighborhoods news conference held by local, state, and federal officials in Tarrant County.