Fort Worth breaks ground on new police station in southern part of city

By Alan Scaia
NewsRadio 1080 KRLD
October 11, 2022

The city of Fort Worth broke ground Tuesday on a police station to serve the southern part of the city. The station at Risinger Road and McCart Avenue will consolidate operations spread at two other locations now.

"This is absolutely critical. When you look at what we're talking to the community about, it's about how we want to serve them, how we want to protect them, how we want them to be safe and feel safe," police Chief Neil Noakes said.

Noakes said 200 officers would work at the station.

"One of the things we want to make sure we're doing every day is to make sure we're being accessible and approachable to the citizens we serve," he said. "This is going to be kind of a beacon to the community, in my opinion, showing we want the community to come with us."

The station will be 31,220 square feet and include a community meeting space. The station will also serve as a command center for Citizens on Patrol volunteers.

"Breaking ground today is indicative of what the city of Fort Worth is about. You have to have safe neighborhoods, and they deserve a world-class facility," Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said. "Our police department deserves a place to work every day they can be proud of, where they can welcome the community into that really reflects the type of department we're running."

Parker said the station would serve an area of southwest Fort Worth that has become one of the fastest-growing areas of the city.

"World-class cities deserve world-class infrastructure, including what city facilities we're building," she said. "This project really reflects that. You're in the middle of beautiful residential housing coming up, Tarleton State University just across [Chisholm Trail] Parkway, more to come in the future. This facility just aligns with all the other things where you're seeing the private sector grow here in Fort Worth."

The station is expected to cost $20 million and will be paid for through money in the 2018 bond.

"The city leaders we have and the community members we have support us day in and day out," Noakes said. "For that, I say, 'Thank you, thank you, thank you.'"

The station is scheduled to open in December 2023.