Watch CBS News

Fort Worth Leaders Stick By Police Chief

FORT WORTH (CBS11) - Fort Worth city leaders are showing support for Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald.

It comes after the Fort Worth Police Officers Association criticized the chief and released a police officers survey ranking Chief Fitzgerald's performance as a 4 on a 1 to 10 scale.

The association is turning the results over to the city.

But Fort Worth City Manager David Cooke told CBS11 Monday evening, "Communication starts with conversation, especially on a complex topic like employee morale. I support Chief Fitzgerald and his team.  He's cultivating a department that approaches problems differently and one that embraces best practices and attitudes for a service-oriented and community focused department."

Earlier in the day Chief Fitzgerald responded with this statement:

"I have more questions about the timing and the tactics than I do about the content of this POA-styled "survey" because of the unscientific nature of the questions and the low participation rate.  In addition, the results dramatically contradict the professional all-employee survey from 2016.  Nevertheless, I stand ready to meet with the POA so we can identify and resolve membership concerns.  Most importantly, we must work collaboratively to be an exemplary department that is service-minded, community oriented and effective in accomplishing its mission."

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.