Fort Worth police oversight office launches outreach at community centers, coffee shops

Four years since its inception, Fort Worth’s Office of Police Oversight Monitor is exploring new ways to reach community members.

The office, which reports to the city manager and is headed by director Bonycle Sokunbi, was created to improve transparency and accountability within the Fort Worth Police Department. But since 2020, Sokunbi said, many residents have either forgotten about the office, or didn’t know about it in the first place.

“We’re trying to get in as many spaces as we can and remind people that the office does exist,” Sokunbi said at a July 30 community meeting at the Clayton Community Center.

To help that effort, staff from the office’s eight-person team will be working remotely from Fort Worth community centers throughout August. The initiative is intended to make contacting the office more accessible, and residents can walk in and talk to staff about any concerns, commendations, experiences or suggestions they’d like to share.

Currently, the oversight office is tucked in the back of City Hall, and mostly takes complaints through phone, email or social media. While Sokunbi said they’re planning a move to a new, more accessible location soon, the hope is that getting out in the community proactively will lead to more face-to-face interactions.

In addition to the community office hours, the oversight office is also hosting monthly coffee meetings around the city. Staff will host their first coffee meeting from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Aug. 23 at Hustle Blendz in the Near Southside neighborhood. The second meeting will be held from 8:30 to 10 a.m. at Casa Azul Coffee in Northside. Community organizations, leaders and residents are encouraged to attend and participate in a casual conversation.

This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.