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Winter 2026
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February is Black History Month. This is a good opportunity to honor some of the first for black officers in the Fort Worth Police Department
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1953: The first African American men to join a FWPD Academy class.
Benny Griffin, Travis Bell, Jack Gray, and Charles Wright.
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These are some of the first achievements for Black Officers in the
Fort Worth Police Department.
We thank them for their service to the citizens of Fort Worth.
Officers – Benny Griffin, Travis Bell, Jack Gray, and Charles Wright. Lonnell Cooper and Claude Jones replaced Benny Griffin and Jack Gray in the Academy 1953. Mrs. Carlas Shaw Brown was the first African-American female patrol officer 1974
Detective – P.F. Mitchell
Sergeant – Lonnell Cooper (he could test for either detective or sergeant and choose sergeant) 2nd Sergeant (testing the way we do now) Sam Hill
Lieutenant – Sam Hill
Captain – Duane Paul
Commander - Greg Weathers and Joseph Sparrow 2017 (new rank between Captain and Deputy Chief
Deputy Chief – Sam Hill 1990 (Deputy Chief at this time was same as Assistant Chief now)
Assistant Chief – Abdul Pridgen 2011 (new rank above deputy chief)
Chief – Joel Fitzgerald 2015
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1974 First Female class including Mrs. Carlas Shaw Brown
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First Commanders
Greg Weathers on left end and Joseph Sparrow right
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Just a little more on Sgt. Cooper.
He was awarded the Liberty Bell Award for his work in encouraging freedom under the law in 1972. He retired from FWPD in 1980. He then went on to be Tarrant County’s first Black Constable. In 2011, the Lonnell E. Cooper Community Justice Center on Miller Avenue was dedicated to his name.
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On January 28, 2026, the Fort Worth Police Department held a ceremony to rename the South Division Headquarters to the "Billy Randolph South Patrol Division Headquarters" in honor of the life, service and sacrifice of Sgt. Billy Randolph. We want to extend our deepest gratitude to the Randolph family and to everyone who attended and showed their support in honor of our brother, Sgt. Billy Randolph.
Sgt. Billy Randolph dedicated 29 years to the Fort Worth Police Department, last serving with South Patrol. Sgt. Randolph was tragically killed on August 12, 2024, while working a vehicle crash scene. He was a loving father, husband, brother, son, and friend and will forever remain in our hearts.
"Go forth, conquer, stay safe, take care of each other."
-Sgt. Billy Randolph
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Our 2025 Blue Elves Toy Drive was a huge success THANKS to you, our community. You help make a difference. We were able to provide toys to over 200 children in our community.
We also want to thank the retailer's that allowed us to setup at their store; Walmart - McCart, Academy Sporting Goods - South Frwy, 5-Below - McPhearson, Family Dollar's - Hemphi9ll @ W Blot St & S. Riverside @ Glen Eden, and Old Navy - South Frwy.
A special THANKS to the Alcon employee's EPIC Team for joining us this year and putting collection boxes throughout their campus and the Chisholm Trail Optimist Club for providing visits by Santa Clause at many of the events.
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Chisholm Trail Optimist Club
Santa Clause
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Here are some pictures of FWPD from the past.
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 You can also contact
City of Fort Worth
Customer Service at
817-392-1234
1234@fortworthtexas.gov
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To find out who your NPO is, you can use the "One Address" search located on our home page. Simply type in your address (eg: 505 W Felix St) and press "Search". Once you enter a valid address, you will be redirected to the appropriate Patrol Division page and your NPO information will be provided in the right-hand column of the page.
What are NPO’s?
The Neighborhood Patrol Officer (NPO) program provides the Fort Worth Police Department the ability to provide additional officers, above and beyond regular patrol staffing levels that are dedicated to providing services to specific neighborhoods and/or designated geographic areas.
Primary Duties
- Work with crime analysts to identify crime trends within assigned neighborhoods, maintain open lines of communication with detectives, and assist the Information Management Section and supervisors in planning appropriate actions to address issues.
- Foster positive community leadership as a means to empower citizens within their neighborhoods by encouraging involvement in Citizens on Patrol, Citizen Police Academy, and Crime Watch to work collaboratively to reduce crime and promote crime prevention tools.
- Maintain open lines of communication between residents, business owners and the police department by attending community meetings and events, including neighborhood association and other community meetings.
Recruit Citizen on Patrol volunteers, schedule them for training, and provide on-going training and correspondence to encourage and retain active memberships.
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