Voters decide to keep half-cent sales tax to fund Fort Worth PD
FORT WORTH, Texas - A vote in Fort Worth to partially defund the police, or at least a police program, failed Tuesday night.
A half-cent sales tax, known as the Crime Control and Prevention District Tax, in Fort Worth was established in 1995. It funded more than 20 percent of the Fort Worth police budget.
The goal, at the time, was to reduce violent crime. Since then, people in opposition to the tax said it was used to unfairly target minority communities.
A large majority of Fort Worth voters wanted to keep the tax and the program. With 93 percent of the precincts reporting, 65 percent of voters were in favor of keeping the tax while 35 percent of voters turned it down.
FULL RESULTS: Click here to check Tuesday's election results
The Fort Worth Police Officers Association said the results showed residents "doubled down" on police in spite of a growing reform movement.
"The citzens of Fort Worth, Texas have sent a loud and clear message to the nation: in Fort Worth, we support our police," the FWPOA said in a statement.
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price also declared victory.
"This continues funding for critical community programs that reduce crime and foster positive community-police interactions," she said.