EXCEL BEYOND JAIL: As National Racial Disparities Narrow, Fort Worth Must Examine Its Own Numbers.

EXCEL BEYOND JAIL: As National Racial Disparities Narrow, Fort Worth Must Examine Its Own Numbers.

By Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr.

President, Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas, and Senior Pastor, New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church, Fort Worth

“Men lie, women lie but the data don’t lie.” 

A recent Wall Street Journal column highlighted research that deserves serious attention—particularly from those responsible for public safety and criminal justice in Fort Worth. Link: https://youtu.be/DLOAdczUpXc?is=3IO2Cilhb-MMOxek

The study, “Why America’s Prisons Are Shrinking and Racial Gaps Are Closing,” was published in Nature Human Behaviour by researchers Jason Robey and Michael Light. After examining crime, arrest and prison-admission data from 2000 through 2019, the researchers found that racial disparities in arrests and imprisonment narrowed substantially. For violent and property offenses, they concluded that declining prison admissions were primarily associated with falling crime rates—not merely changes in policing or court processing. Link: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/surprise-racial-crime-disparities-have-narrowed-a-lot-f4bea48f?st=8LYm2X&reflink=article_gmail_share

That is encouraging national news. It challenges damaging stereotypes that equate Black identity with criminality and underestimate the capacity of Black communities to overcome adversity and achieve meaningful transformation. The evidence demonstrates significant progress.

But what do the numbers tell us here in Fort Worth?

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Black residents constitute approximately 19.7% of Fort Worth’s population. Yet the Fort Worth Police Department’s July 2026 Use of Force Analysis Report shows that 85 of the 162 people subjected to police force during that month were Black—more than half of all reported subjects.

The same report recorded 2,155 custodial arrests: Link: https://police.fortworthtexas.gov/files/assets/police/v/1/public-information/documents/use-of-force/2026/july-2026-use-of-force-report-public.pdf

* Black individuals: 999 arrests, or 46.36%

* White individuals: 601 arrests, or 27.89%

* Hispanic individuals: 531 arrests, or 24.64%

Among the 162 people subjected to police force, the report identified 85 as Black, 40 as Hispanic, 35 as White and two as Asian. The report also states that force was used in 7.52% of custodial arrests during the reporting period. FWPD publishes these reports as part of its public reporting and transparency process.

These numbers must be described accurately. The report documents reported uses of force; it does not conclude that every use of force was improper or excessive. Nor can one month of aggregate data, standing alone, prove racial discrimination.

Nevertheless, the disparity is too significant to ignore.

Black individuals accounted for a much larger share of arrests and use-of-force encounters than Black residents’ share of Fort Worth’s population. They also represented a higher share of use-of-force subjects than of custodial arrests. These figures should lead to deeper examination—not predetermined conclusions, but honest and transparent questions.

What circumstances preceded these encounters? What types of force were used? How many incidents involved mental-health or substance-use concerns? Were de-escalation strategies attempted? Were officers following department policies? What do the annual and multiyear trends reveal? Are particular neighborhoods, police beats or enforcement practices contributing to the disparity?

Fort Worth cannot responsibly compare a single month of local police data with a 20-year national study and declare that the two measure the same thing. However, the national progress should challenge our city to determine whether similar progress is occurring locally—and, if not, why.

For too long, the prevailing response to many community problems has seemed to be, “Lock them up.”

Incarceration may temporarily remove someone from the street, but it does not automatically address educational failure, untreated trauma, unemployment, addiction, homelessness or the absence of meaningful opportunity. Public safety requires accountability, but lasting public safety also requires prevention, restoration and pathways to productive lives.

That is why our response is the EXCEL Beyond Jail Project.

EXCEL Beyond Jail is committed to helping people move beyond contact with the criminal-justice system by creating pathways to education, employment, mentorship, restoration and lasting success. Its purpose is not to excuse unlawful conduct or disregard the suffering of crime victims. It recognizes that people should not be permanently defined by their worst decision—and that communities become safer when people have genuine opportunities to change.

We must protect our neighborhoods, support victims and hold people accountable. At the same time, we must examine whether our institutions exercise authority fairly, proportionately and transparently.

The national evidence demonstrates that racial disparities in crime and incarceration can decline. Fort Worth should build upon that progress by publishing accessible multiyear data, examining racial disparities in police encounters and investing in community-based programs that help prevent crime before an arrest becomes necessary.

We should not be satisfied merely with sending more people to jail.

We must create opportunities for more people to heal, rebuild and EXCEL BEYOND JAIL.

About the Author

Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr. is president of the Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas and senior pastor of New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth. A native of the 76104 community, Pastor Tatum has devoted his ministry to healing and rebuilding historically Black and Brown communities through faith, advocacy and direct service. Link: https://youtu.be/T7PeAaZkkwI

His work addresses food insecurity, health disparities, educational access, economic justice, violence prevention and neighborhood restoration. Through initiatives including the Community Food Bowl, Clinic Without Walls, Faith in the Farm, Guns to Gardens and the EXCEL Beyond Jail Project, he works to replace barriers with opportunities and help individuals, families and communities move from surviving to thriving. He can be reached at kptatum1@gmail.com or visit: www.newmountrose.com