Fort Worth Police Oversight Model Gets National Recognition

Good morning, this is Fort Worth Local Pulse for Thursday, February 26th. We're starting with some important developments happening right here in our city. Fort Worth police oversight is getting national attention this week. Bonycle Sokunbi, who heads our Police Department's oversight office, traveled to Aurora, Colorado on Tuesday to share how our model works. She spoke to residents and city officials there who are trying to build their own oversight system. Sokunbi told them that the most important power her office has is unfettered access to police information, which allows them to monitor ongoing investigations and make recommendations. What's interesting is that she hasn't had a single recommendation refused by our police department in her time there. She credits this success to the relationship built on trust and respect between her office and our officers. Meanwhile, we're seeing some concern brewing around Fort Worth ISD as the state moves forward with its takeover of the school district. Nearly three hundred people applied to serve on the new state-appointed board of managers, but here's the thing: their names aren't being made public. Families and community members are frustrated by this secrecy. Fort Worth parent Kelly Moreno says she has no idea who might be positioned to guide her children's schools or what changes could be coming. The Texas Education Agency is asking for an opinion from the state attorney general's office about whether those applicant names should be released. Some transparency advocates are pointing out that when Houston ISD went through a similar takeover a few years ago, all four hundred sixty-two applicant names were released two months before appointments were made. They're asking why Fort Worth isn't getting that same level of openness. The commissioner has said he'll reveal his appointees sometime this spring. On the safety front, we've also been seeing improvements at the Fort Worth Stockyards. CBS Texas covered a story about new safety enhancements there, so if you're planning to visit this weekend, know that officials have been working to make the experience safer for everyone. As we head into the rest of your Thursday, keep an eye on the weather as you plan your day. We'll have more updates on any developing stories throughout the day. This has been Fort Worth Local Pulse. We'll see you tomorrow with more local updates. Thanks for tuning in and don't forget to subscribe. This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out quietplease dot ai. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.