Fort Worth Police Implement Mandatory 2 Officers Per Call
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NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM/AP) - The weekend shootings of police officers in San Antonio, St. Louis and two other cities are prompting some police departments to have their officers work in pairs until further notice.
The Fort Worth Police Department instituted a mandatory two-officers-per-call policy, including on traffic stops. The department issued the following statement Monday afternoon:
Due to the recent ambush attacks on law enforcement officers across the country, the Fort Worth Police Department has instituted a mandatory two officer per call policy until further notice. This policy includes all traffic stops and self-initiated officer investigations.
In addition, all Traffic Division and Special Response Team officers will follow the same protocol and, when not on special assignment, will be subject to answering patrol calls for service.
The FWPD command staff's paramount objective is officer safety and seeing officers return home safely to their loved ones at the end of each shift is priority one.
Meantime, David Pughes, interim police chief in Dallas, urged his officers Monday to partner in pairs.
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus already urged his officers to partner on calls after San Antonio Detective Benjamin Marconi was shot and killed Sunday. McManus said he believed Marconi was targeted because of his uniform.
A St. Louis police officer was shot and wounded Sunday night. Officers also were shot and wounded Sunday night during traffic stops in Sanibel, Florida, and Gladstone, Missouri.
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