Fort Worth City Council approves hiring more police officers

The Fort Worth Police Department now has more than enough officers ready to hit the streets.

It’s a stark contrast to the situation law enforcement leaders are experiencing in Dallas.

Tuesday night was the third time in the past several months that the Fort Worth City Council has approved the hiring of more officers. With 29 new officers, it makes 89 new positions since August.

The approval brings the total number of budgeted officers on the force to 1,759. It’s the largest number of paid officers the department has ever had and even puts staffing at a surplus, another long-awaited milestone. It will take effect after the academy class graduates in April.

The higher number of sworn officers is still short of the national average, but it’s something Chief Joel Fitzgerald has said was a top priority since he was hired.

"Recruiting and retention is a challenge, as you said, for many agencies across the country,” the police chief said. “We've been blessed with the fact that we've been an attractive location for people to relocate as officers through an LEO program or to start a new career here."

The high staffing level is a stark contrast to the Dallas Police Department. While city staff has recommended a force of 3,600 officers on the streets, the department only has a force of approximately 3,000.

There are dozens of Fort Worth police officers who could potentially retire in the coming years and could put an end to any staffing surplus.