Fort Worth Crime Control & Prevention District expands funds to back community programs
FORT WORTH, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Community programs are in line to receive more funding and a larger role in addressing crime when Fort Worth leaders have a public hearing and vote Tuesday on the $117 million Crime Control and Prevention District budget.
For the second year, the fund expands its backing of programs including gang intervention, after school efforts and youth mentoring. It also increases money going to crisis intervention teams and homeless outreach. Cameras, cars and direct funding for initiatives like school resource officers still get a large portion of the fund.
The beneficiaries of the move to a long term strategy of addressing crime includes organizations like Operation Progress Fort Worth. Established in 2020 as an expansion out of a similar program in Los Angeles, OPFW currently works with 15 children in the Como neighborhood. It gives them academic assistance, learning opportunities outside the classroom, and a lifetime mentor who is also a law enforcement officer, but connects with the student and their family in a non-enforcement way.
"And you see the hearts and the minds of both stakeholders changing, through authentic relationship building," said executive director Dr. Myeshia Smith.
Funding of $100,000 a year will help the program potentially expand to 30 students, and plan for work in additional neighborhoods.
Other initiatives would provide funding for after school programs in Forth Worth, Keller, Crowley and White Settlement Independent School Districts.
Violence Intervention Program Fort Worth would receive more than $600,000 to address gun-related youth violence, and the Boys and Girls Club of Tarrant County is in line for $1.6 million for its gang intervention program.
The city council meets Tuesday at 6 p.m.
