FORT WORTH, TX – After a grueling six-week training course, the first graduates of the Fort Worth Civilian Response Unit, a new unarmed division of the Fort Worth Police Department are ready to hit the streets.
Last summer the Fort Worth Police Chief Ed Kraus, in response to the calls to defund police across America asked for an additional $1.76 million to fund a new unarmed civilian response unit.
In order to free up that money, the department had to cut back on funding the Crime Control and Prevention District and funding for new equipment and enhanced infrastructure.
Nine members of the new CRU will soon start getting deployed throughout the city to respond to non-violent crimes such as abandoned cars, burglaries, and credit card fraud incidents. They will drive cars that say “Civilian Response” and they will go out into the city unarmed.
Lt. Chris Gorrie who manages the new unit said the community wanted non-police officers to respond to calls, so the department decided to give it a shot and see how it goes.