FORT WORTH (WBAP/KLIF News) – The Fort Worth City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to appoint a task force on race and culture.
Mayor Betsy Price said the city was motivated by the Jacqueline Craig case to find a way to address the current issues.
“We realized there was a lot of hurting and a lot of misunderstanding that we needed to get a handle on. We spent the last six months listening finding out where the community stands and what the needs are,” she said.
The Craig incident happened last December, when Jacqueline called police to report a neighbor had allegedly put his hands on her 7-year-old son after he accused the child of littering.
Officer William Martin responded, and after arguments ensued with the Craig family, he forcefully arrested Craig and her daughters, which was recorded on Facebook Live.
The video went viral and sparked a national outcry about incidents of police brutality against the African-American community.
Charges were eventually dropped against the Craig family and Martin was suspended for 10 days.
Price said the task force is not just for show…it will have an actual impact on community relations.
“The task force is going to meet fairly often and they will also be holding community listening events,” she said.
Price said the city would like to avoid any race-related issues that other cities have dealt with from happening in Fort Worth.
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