FORT WORTH (WBAP/KLIF) – The Fort Worth Police Department is investigating after several patrol vehicles were riddled with bullets.
As part of a recruiting campaign, the department staged several marked police vehicles throughout the city of Fort Worth in areas of high visibility to not only advertise recruiting efforts, but also to promote driver safety. According to Police, on February 25, Officers discovered two of the vehicles were damaged by gunfire.
“This type of hostility toward policing can serve to make our officers more wary, guarded, and less apt to let their guard down and engage with the community,” said Chief of Police Ed Kraus. “It is detrimental toward our recruitment and community policing efforts.”
“It’s very hurtful..you have officers that do this job everyday and there could have been an officer sitting in that car. If someone is willing to ride around a shoot patrol cars, that’s not a good situation,” said Officer Tracy Carter.
Carter said they want to be a department that’s community oriented and says this is a set back but they will get through it. “We want to look into it and bring the people in to speak to them, at least ask them why because our job is to recruit people from various neighborhoods, we want people here that are from Fort Worth, love Fort Worth and want to police Fort Worth…that’s what going to make our city safer,” said Carter.
Police say investigative units are actively working to gather additional information to ensure full accountability of whomever is responsible. Anyone with any information on the crimes is asked to call Police.
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