The Fort Worth Police Department plans to turn 30 patrol officer jobs into patrol corporal positions in fiscal 2027, and the city has hired a recruiting firm for a national search to pick its next fire chief by February, according to reports prepared for the City Council's work session on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
Both items are informal reports from City Manager Jay Chapa's office, which are briefings rather than votes. The session starts at 2 p.m. at City Hall, 100 Fort Worth Trail, in the council's work session room downstairs.
Corporals stay on patrol
Until now, officers who wanted to make corporal generally had to leave patrol for investigative or specialized assignments, Police Chief Eddie Garcia's report says. The new positions are meant to give officers a way to promote while staying in the field.
Patrol corporals' main job will be the field training program, coaching probationary officers as they move from the police academy to street work. When they have no trainee, they will answer emergency calls like other patrol officers, and they may fill in as acting sergeants when needed.
The report stresses that the change does not add officers. The 30 slots come from existing patrol officer positions, and the Patrol Bureau's authorized staffing stays the same. The corporals will be spread across all six patrol divisions and several shifts.
Current corporal detectives get the first chance at the jobs, in order of seniority. Any remaining openings will be filled through the next civil service promotional exam. The department says it may add more patrol corporals as the city grows.
Fire chief timeline
Human Resources Director Kristen Smith's report says the city chose Raftelis after collecting informal proposals from executive search firms, giving weight to experience with fire and police chief searches. The city also cited the firm's earlier placement of the director of Fort Worth's Office of the Police Oversight Monitor.
