Assistant Police Director ||| City of Fort Worth, Texas
The Community
Bustling Fort Worth, Texas—the “City of Cowboys and Culture”— is home to more
than 812,000 residents and is the county seat of Tarrant County. It is the 16th largest
city in the US and the fifth largest city in Texas. Recognized as one of the fastest
growing areas of the country in 2011, Fort Worth was voted one of America’s Most
Livable Communities in 2010 and was named by the National Civic League as an
All-American City for the third time in 2011. In 2015, Fort Worth was ranked the
12th most diverse city in the nation by WalletHub.
Transportation is vital to Fort Worth, and the City is ideally located along three
interstate highways (Interstates 20, 30, and 35), in addition to five federal and four
state highways. The Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is the third busiest
airport in the world in terms of logistical operations and ranks eighth in the world
based on passengers. Additionally, there are three general aviation airports in Fort
Worth and the area is served by six major railroad systems, including Amtrak.
Established in 1849 as a frontier army post on a bluff overlooking the Trinity River,
Fort Worth became a shipping point for great herds of Longhorn cattle being sent to
northern markets. Known as the city “Where the West Begins,” Fort Worth’s
pioneering spirit remains strong and the area has transformed into one of the best
places to live and do business in Texas. The community offers a rich tapestry of
affordable neighborhoods and an enviable cultural scene. The median household
income in Fort Worth is $49,411 and the median home price is $115,000.
Fort Worth has been recognized as one of the premier travel destinations in the
nation. Residents and visitors enjoy shopping and dining in downtown’s Sundance
Square, visiting the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens, and the world famous Fort Worth
Stockyards. Music and theatre performances take the stage at the Bass Performance
Hall, Casa Mañana, Rose Marine Theater, Jubilee Theater, and Billy Bob’s Texas.
Audiences enjoy a variety of concerts and shows featuring the Fort Worth Symphony
Orchestra, Texas Ballet Theater, Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, and
the Fort Worth Opera.
A number of renowned museums including the Kimbell Art Museum, Amon Carter
Museum, Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, Modern Art Museum of Fort
Worth, and the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame highlight the important
role history plays in the region. The Fort Worth Zoo, ranked one of the top 10 zoos in
the United States, and the thrilling Texas Motor Speedway attract visitors from
around the country.
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The Community, continued
The Fort Worth Independent School District educates more than 80,000 students in
grades K-12 at over 140 schools and special campuses. There are 15 other public
school districts that serve residents of Fort Worth and more than 200 private and
parochial schools that offer parents multiple options for their children’s education.
High School graduates have abundant choices in their pursuit of a college degree.
Fort Worth is home to Texas Christian University, Tarrant County College, Texas
Wesleyan University, Texas A&M University School of Law, and Southwestern
Baptist Theological Seminary. In 2015, Texas Christian University and the
University of North Texas Health Science Center entered into a memorandum of
understanding to create a new MD school in Fort Worth, which will accept its first
class in 2018. The region’s colleges and universities enroll more than 325,000
students and award more than 30,000 degrees annually. Other institutions nearby
include Texas Woman’s University, University of Texas at Arlington, and the
University of North Texas.
Governance & Organization
The City is governed by a Home Rule Charter with a Council–Manager form of
government consisting of a Mayor, elected at-large, and eight City Council
Members representing single-member districts and serving two-year terms with no
term limits. The Mayor and City Council appoint a professional City Manager to
administer and coordinate municipal operations and programs. The City Council
also appoints the City Secretary, City Attorney, City Auditor, Municipal Court
Judges, and citizens who serve on City boards and commissions. The City of Fort
Worth has more than 6,400 authorized positions, an FY2016 annual operating
budget of $1.6 billion, and a tax rate of $0.8550 per $100 of valuation.
About the Fort Worth Police Department
The Fort Worth Police Department has 1,599 officers and 461 civilian employees
who provide service to over 800,000 residents across 350 square miles. Citizen
engagement and respect for law enforcement within Fort Worth is demonstrated by
an already low crime rate that continues to decline and the continuing voter
approval of a half-cent Crime Control and Prevention District sales tax dedicated to
the Police Department budget every five years.
Under the direction of the Chief of Police, the Police Department develops and
implements programs to deter crime and to protect life and property in Fort Worth.
Specific departmental objectives include: reducing violent crime and gang-related
activities through enhanced enforcement activities and crime prevention programs,
increasing the safety of residents and decreasing crime throughout Fort Worth
neighborhoods, increasing the safety of youth and reducing juvenile crime through
crime prevention and intervention programs, and enhancing problem-solving and
prevention tools and efforts through diverse recruitment, training, and retention of
high quality officers, technology and equipment, and capital improvements.
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About the Position
As a member of the Fort Worth Police Department Executive Staff, the Assistant
Police Director is over the Administrative Support Command and oversees a team of
45 employees and reports to the Assistant Chief of Finance and Personnel. Specific
areas of responsibility include: policy management & safety, employment services,
budget, finance, grants management, research & planning, technology services, and
procurement and contracts.
Leadership & Innovation
The Police Department is currently facing several issues and challenges that the next
Assistant Police Director will need to address:
Facilities: The Police Department owns several facilities reaching the end of their
useful lives and leases others at the end of their contract periods. The selected
individual will be tasked with studying and offering detailed recommendations to
address this issue.
Staffing: The Fort Worth Police Department remains understaffed as it continues to
recover from cutbacks made during the economic recession. Optimal staffing levels
will need to be established based on best practices and valid business models.
Growth and geographic dispersal: Fort Worth continues its pattern of population
growth within a large planning area, the implications of which require study and
integration into the department’s master plan.
New leadership: In the last two years, Fort Worth has replaced key executives
within the City at large and the Police Department specifically. This presents both a
challenge and an opportunity for the new Assistant Police Director to continue
building critical relationships at the executive level, by establishing a high level of
credibility and providing best-in-class support services.
Ideal Candidate
The City of Fort Worth’s next Assistant Police Director will be a highly
accomplished, forward-thinking leader who will take the support function of the Fort
Worth Police Department to a best-in-class level of performance. This is an excellent
opportunity for the selected candidate to make his or her mark on one of the most
respected, high-performing law enforcement agencies in the country.
The City seeks a goal-focused administrative services professional who can translate
passion into action. A dedicated leader who cares deeply about the organization and
clearly understands its higher purpose, the next Assistant Police Director will be a
trusted partner who can readily learn the business of work groups served. In order to
maintain harmonious, trust-based partnerships, the chosen candidate should be a
politically astute relationship-builder and able to work successfully within a
challenging political environment, while remaining politically neutral and
demonstrating, by example, that strong working relationships are paramount.
The successful candidate will need to possess a high level of emotional intelligence
in order to effectively navigate the human/emotional elements of work within a
large, complex organization and should be effective at helping others do the same.
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Ideal Candidate, continued
The selected individual will be a collaborative team-builder who inspires and
motivates staff, is motivated by the success of others, and encourages positive
working relationships between sworn and civilian staff. The Assistant Police
Director will foster an environment of accountability within the department and
throughout the organization, encouraging and engaging staff through personal and
public acknowledgement of their accomplishments and providing constructive
criticism and feedback when needed.
A strategic thinker who can grasp the “big picture,” the ideal candidate will also be
able to recall and discuss the important details and numbers supporting a given
issue. He or she will be a quick study – able to find and implement common sense
solutions to complex challenges. The chosen individual must be technologically
savvy – adept at leveraging technology to improve productivity. He or she will be
flexible, able to refocus quickly and adjust to changing circumstances and priorities.
The ideal candidate will be an exceptional communicator, particularly effective at
conveying information to diverse audiences within the organization and the
community. He or she will exercise strong interpersonal skills in handling
confrontations, controversies, and sensitive issues with tact and diplomacy. Making
continuous quality improvement a priority to streamline processes, increase
efficiency, and eliminate waste will be an essential function for this position.
Education & Experience
The selected candidate must hold a bachelor’s degree in public administration,
business, finance, or a related field and have six years of progressively responsible
public administration experience, including four or more years of supervisory
experience. A valid Texas Driver’s License, or the ability to obtain within 30 days of
employment, is required.
A master’s degree in public administration or business administration is preferred.
An equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to perform the
essential duties of the position may be considered.
The ideal candidate will have substantial administrative experience in budgeting,
human resources, planning, CIP project management, information technology, lean
six sigma methodology, and grants management.
This is a civilian position; public safety experience is a plus but not a requirement
for consideration.
Compensation & Benefits
The City of Fort Worth offers a competitive starting salary, depending on
qualifications and experience. City employees participate in the Fort Worth
Employees’ Retirement Fund, a defined benefit plan, at an employee contribution
rate of 8.25% matched by a City contribution of 19.74% with five-year vesting. The
City does not participate in the Social Security System.
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Application Process
Please apply online at: http://bit.ly/SGRCurrentSearches
For other information on this position contact:
Mark Boynton, Senior Vice President
Strategic Government Resources
[email protected]
480-292-0116
The City of Fort Worth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity in its
workforce. Applicants selected as finalists for this position will be subject to a
comprehensive background check and drug test.
Resources
City of Fort Worth
http://fortworthtexas.gov/
Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce
http://www.fortworthchamber.com/
Fort Worth Police Department
https://www.fortworthpd.com/
Fort Worth Police on Twitter
https://twitter.com/FortWorthPD
Fort Worth Police on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/InsideFWPD
Inside FWPD on Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/user/InsideFWPD
Mission Statement
The Fort Worth Police Department provides
quality service in partnership with the community
to create a safe environment for all.