After leading the Fort Worth Police Department for four and a half years, Chief Neil Noakes is stepping down, citing a desire to spend more time with family. His departure comes as violent crime in the city continues to decline.
Homicides have dropped for three consecutive years, with aggravated assaults and burglaries also down. Noakes credits the success to a flexible crime plan that allowed officers to adapt to real-time trends, along with strong support from city leaders and the community.
“I’m happy to say that I’m not leaving because the department is a bad department, or the city is a bad city. There is no better department to work for in the country,” Noakes told CBS News Texas…