Latest news with #NeilNoakes
CBS News
3 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
Fort Worth's police chief reflects as he retires
Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes City of Fort Worth After leading the Fort Worth Police Department for four and a half years, Chief Neil Noakes is stepping down, citing a desire to spend more time with family. His departure comes as violent crime in the city continues to decline. Homicides have dropped for three consecutive years, with aggravated assaults and burglaries also down. Noakes credits the success to a flexible crime plan that allowed officers to adapt to real-time trends, along with strong support from city leaders and the community. "I'm happy to say that I'm not leaving because the department is a bad department, or the city is a bad city. There is no better department to work for in the country," Noakes told CBS News Texas. Noakes said the decision to leave was difficult but ultimately driven by family priorities, especially with a second grandchild on the way. Highs and lows Despite the department's progress, Noakes' tenure was not without controversy. In 2023, a high-speed police chase through a residential area ended in the death of an innocent driver. "I'm so sorry it happened," Noakes said. "Any time a life is lost, it's tragic. That shouldn't have happened." Noakes declined to answer questions about the officers' responsibility in the incident, citing advice from city attorneys. Internal records show none of the officers involved in the pursuit faced disciplinary action. Nearly two years after the crash, details of the chase remain undisclosed. Noakes has refused to release the department's full vehicle pursuit policy, despite a directive from the Texas attorney general. "We released most of the policy," he said. "There are some tactics that we use in pursuits that we don't want our criminals to know about. We don't want to broadcast information that could compromise the efforts of these officers, put them in danger, and put citizens in danger because maybe the criminals know our policy so well. And don't think they wouldn't look." The city remains in a legal dispute with the attorney general over the matter. Mental health matters One of Noakes' proudest accomplishments is the department's renewed focus on mental health. "Here's how we dealt with mental health when I started: 'suck it up. There's more calls. Get back out there and do your job,'" Noakes said. "That is not acceptable. That is so tragic that we ever dealt with it that way." Under his leadership, the department launched a wellness unit to support officers and their families. It also introduced the Respond Restore Resolve (R3) initiative, a non-clinical resiliency training program for first responders. "There are things that officers see that no human being should ever have to witness. And the problem is they see it over and over and over again," he said. "What we're doing with R3 is an amazing resiliency training and it's non-clinical in nature, meaning we don't wait until they're broken and then try and fix them." A legacy of service Noakes said he hopes to be remembered as a leader who cared deeply about the department and the community. "I hope they see me as someone who really cared. Not just about city or department, but the people in the city and the people in the department," he said. "Somebody who made mistakes but tried his best. I've always tried to encourage people to be humble, to be servant leaders, and if any of those words are thrown out at some point in the future, I'll be happy with that." Chief Noakes' last day with the Fort Worth Police Department is Saturday.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fort Worth plans to have a new police chief by September. Here's the process
Fort Worth has started the process to hire its next police chief. Chief Neil Noakes announced five months ago that he would retire in June after serving in the department for 25 years. While City Manager Jay Chapa will make the ultimate decision when it comes to hiring the police chief, he told Mayor Mattie Parker on the April 16 episode of her 'Go Time' podcast he wants to make the process as transparent as possible. Assistant City Manager William Johnson, who oversees the police department, is heading up the search, Chapa said. The city hired a consulting firm, held meetings with council members, chambers of commerce and community groups, and created an online survey to get feedback from the public, according to a city report. The city plans to post the job on May 7 and have the application process run for about four to six weeks, city talent acquisition manager Victor Escobedo told the City Council at a May 6 work session. Johnson's team will then interview the applicants to whittle them down to a group of finalists by early July, according to the city report. The city then plans to host a public forum with the candidates in July, so residents can meet the finalists and offer feedback, Escobedo said. Residents will also have an opportunity to meet one-on-one with the candidates after the forum, he said. Mayor Pro Tem Gyna Bivens suggested the city put on several forums in each council district to give the public more opportunities to engage with the candidates. 'Many people can get to city hall, but many people cannot, so just keep that in mind,' she said. City staff plans to select the final candidate in August, and in September the new chief will be appointed, according to the city report.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WATCH: Fort Worth Police make Kendrick Lamar-inspired diss track after Dallas PD puts up billboard
The Brief The Fort Worth Police Department channeled rapper Kendrick Lamar for their new recruiting video. They released a song parodying "Not Like Us" after Dallas PD put up a recruitment billboard in Fort Worth. In the song, they bring up 14 officers who moved departments from Dallas to Fort Worth. FORT WORTH, Texas - The Fort Worth Police Department put out a Kendrick Lamar-inspired diss track directed toward Dallas after a billboard to recruit new officers went up in the city. On Friday, Fort Worth PD put out a music video set to a beat similar to Lamar's "Not Like Us." The video shows an officer driving past a Dallas Police recruitment billboard that went up in Fort Worth and shaking their head before the song begins. "Say D, I see you like our city. Throwing up print stuff, that's a real pity," raps the officer at one point. The song then brings up a number of local officers who made the jump from DPD to Fort Worth. "Numbers don't lie, why you throwing up a board? Last time I checked, we took 14 of yours," the officer raps. In the video, a DPD badge is shown getting knocked off of officers sleeves, revealing the Fort Worth police badge. "What you thinking little d, aren't you tired? Every time we open up we fill up when we hire," the rap continues. In the post featuring the video, Fort Worth Police included links for police trainees or current officers looking to make a move to another department. "Let me know what y'all think of our latest recruiting video! [The Fort Worth Police Department] has nothing but love for [Dallas PD]," wrote Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes on social media. Why you should care While the video was made in good fun, it does point to the continued efforts by the City of Dallas to bring in police officers. For most of the last decade, the Dallas Police Department has struggled to recruit and retain police officers. Last November, Dallas residents approved a ballot initiative requiring the city to increase the number of officers to 4,000. That's roughly 900 more than the city currently employs. Dallas City Council has cut back on hiring goals, due to the efforts it would take to train and onboard new officers. Despite the staffing concerns, Interim Police Chief Michael Igo recently said overall violent crime is down 15% in the city. The Source Information in this article comes from social media posts made by the Fort Worth Police Department and Chief Neil Noakes. Information on Dallas Police comes from past FOX 4 reporting and comments made by Interim Police Chief Michael Igo.
