THERE IS SOMETHING ROTTEN IN THE COTTON: Alarming Disparities in Fort Worth Police Use of Force: May 2025. Blacks Make Up 50% of All Use of Force in Fort Worth, Texas.
THERE IS SOMETHING ROTTEN IN THE COTTON: Alarming Disparities in Fort Worth Police Use of Force: May 2025. Blacks Make Up 50% of All Use of Force in Fort Worth, Texas. Black Texans, Inc.
### Stark, Disturbing Findings
**A crisis is unfolding in Fort Worth.** According to the Fort Worth Police Department’s Own Use of Force Analysis Report for May 2025, a staggering 50% of all use of force incidents involved African American individuals. This is not only deeply alarming but utterly inexcusable when Black residents represent only about 18% of Fort Worth’s population[1]. These figures demand urgent attention and raise critical questions about institutional behavior and systemic bias within the police force.
| Group | % of Use of Force (May 2025) | % of Population |
|------------------|------------------------------|-----------------|
| African American | 50% | 18%[1] |
| Other Groups | 50% | 82% |
*This table shows the shockingly disproportionate impact on the Black community.*
### Community Outcry: “There Is Something Rotten in the Cotton”
- **This isn’t a statistic—it’s a warning sign.** The overrepresentation of Black victims in police use of force is a symptom of something deeply broken in Fort Worth’s policing culture.
- These reports are not abstract numbers: our community members are dying, yet there is a chilling lack of urgency from elected officials.
> “THERE IS SOMETHING ROTTEN IN THE COTTON! 50% of excessive use of force victims are black people in Fort Worth, Texas. Can someone please explain why this is the case when black people only make up 18% of the population?”
### Denied Voices, Ignored Experience
Despite years of advocacy and a consistent push for inclusion, the selection process for the next police chief—and for policing policy more broadly—keeps sidelining community input. **Institutional knowledge and lived experience are left out, silencing people who know the community best**[2][3].
- The media has long provided a platform for those voices, but city leadership continues to dodge meaningful engagement.
- **What’s missing is not just data, but real participation:** Trusted, experienced, and accountable community leaders are excluded, undermining public trust and perpetuating harm[2].
Call for Immediate Investigation and Reform.
- How can trust ever be rebuilt when such disparities persist without transparency or accountability?
- The evidence demands a formal investigation into Fort Worth Police Department practices and leadership.
- **The absence of elected officials’ concern is in itself a signal of moral failure and a betrayal of the city’s Black residents.**
The Next Chief: A Pivotal Moment
As Fort Worth considers four finalists for police chief—including former Dallas Chief Eddie Garcia—the city stands at a crossroads[3]. The next leader must confront these truths and restore justice to a department out of step with the community it serves.
**In Fort Worth, the numbers do not lie. The ongoing reality is clear: systemic problems within the police department are endangering Black lives, and nothing less than full accountability will suffice**[1][2].
*Somebody ought to say something—and somebody better act.*
Sources
[1] Fort Worth, TX - Police Scorecard https://policescorecard.org/tx/police-department/fort-worth
[2] [PDF] Fort Worth Police Department Expert Review Panel Status Report https://www.washlaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Interim-Report-Final.pdf
[3] Fort Worth names 4 police chief finalists, including former Dallas ... https://www.fox4news.com/news/fort-worth-names-4-police-chief-finalists
[4] There is a 'concerning pattern' of use of force by Fort Worth police https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esJeHv5LSPg
[5] Fort Worth to name interim police chief as search for permanent hire ... https://www.keranews.org/government/2025-05-16/fort-worth-to-name-interim-police-chief-as-search-for-permanent-hire-kicks-off
[6] Professional Standards Division - Fort Worth Police Department https://police.fortworthtexas.gov/Support-Services/professional-standards-division
[7] Use of Force Policy (Fort Worth Police Department) - MuckRock https://www.muckrock.com/foi/fort-worth-330/use-of-force-policy-fort-worth-police-department-18629/
[8] Why Fort Worth And Other Big Cities Struggle With Police Diversity https://www.keranews.org/texas-news/2019-12-11/why-fort-worth-and-other-big-cities-struggle-with-police-diversity
[9] DFW city leaders react to Eddie Garcia's potential move to Fort Worth https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/tarrant-county/north-texas-city-leaders-react-former-dallas-police-chief-eddie-garcia-potentially-moving-fort-worth/287-f1f36908-b99f-4f63-a867-10e9f0f2c0c7
[10] Use of Force - Fort Worth Police Department https://police.fortworthtexas.gov/Crime-Public-Info/Department-Reports/Use-of-Force-Reports
[11] Contact - Fort Worth Police Department https://police.fortworthtexas.gov/Contact
[12] Fort Worth Police Chief: Who are the finalists for the job? | wfaa.com https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/tarrant-county/fort-worth-police-department-chief-finalists-replace-neil-noakes/287-92a45dfb-947d-4c90-aec8-3a4d939add6a
[13] [PDF] Use of Force Analysis Report - Fort Worth Police Department https://police.fortworthtexas.gov/files/assets/police/v/1/public-information/documents/use-of-force/2025/march-2025-use-of-force-report-public.pdf
[14] [PDF] task force on race and culture - the City of Fort Worth https://www.fortworthtexas.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/diversity-inclusion/documents/taskforcerace-culture.pdf
[15] Fort Worth City Manager announces police chief finalists, forum https://ebs.publicnow.com/view/8B95934529514071753C6F7529696219740BFEB4
[16] [PDF] CODE OF ETHICS - Fort Worth Police Department https://pdapps.fortworthtexas.gov/UI/Repository/Documents/2025/4002543E/General%20Orders_Web%20Version%201_15_2025.pdf
[17] [PDF] Use of Force Analysis Report - Fort Worth Police Department https://police.fortworthtexas.gov/files/assets/police/v/1/public-information/documents/use-of-force/2023/december-2023-use-of-force-report-public.pdf
[18] https://www.fortworthtexas.gov/news/2025/7/police-... https://www.fortworthtexas.gov/news/2025/7/police-chief-finalists
[19] Fort Worth Police Department - the City of Fort Worth https://police.fortworthtexas.gov
[20] Demographics/Diversity - Fort Worth Police Department https://police.fortworthtexas.gov/Crime-Public-Info/Department-Reports/Demographics-Diversity
[21] News articles - Fort Worth Police Department https://police.fortworthtexas.gov/news-articles
[22] General Orders - Fort Worth Police Department https://police.fortworthtexas.gov/Crime-Public-Info/General-Orders
[23] News Flash • Police - White Settlement https://www.wstx.us/CivicAlerts.aspx
[24] Fort Worth Police Department - the City of Fort Worth https://police.fortworthtexas.gov/home
[25] Fort Worth's Police Accountability Crisis - Spectrum News https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/south-texas-el-paso/news/2020/12/01/fort-worth-s-police-accountability-crisis-
[26] Department Reports - Fort Worth Police https://police.fortworthtexas.gov/Crime-Public-Info/Department-Reports
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