Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, January 26, 2021
STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Fort Worth’s new top cop is a Tarleton State University graduate.
Deputy Police Chief Neil Noakes has been named Chief of Police, replacing Ed Kraus, who announced his retirement last summer.
Noakes graduated cum laude from Tarleton with his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in 2016. He joined the Fort Worth PD in 2000 and as Deputy Chief oversaw the central, east and south patrol divisions.
“I think it’s safe to say, you’re looking at the happiest man in Fort Worth right now,” he said during a news conference Monday afternoon. “I am absolutely delighted, I am humbled and honored, and I can promise you this, all of us may not agree every day, but as long as we agree to keep coming back to the table, as long as we agree to keep collaborating, as long as we work together, I don’t see anything in the city of Fort Worth we can’t accomplish together.”
Noakes was one of six finalists selected from more than 50 applicants from across the country.
“Chief Noakes is the right leader, at the right time, for the Fort Worth Police Department and the city of Fort Worth,” Mayor Betsy Price said in an online statement. “He has proven to have a heart for servant leadership and a vision for rebuilding and strengthening relationships within our communities.”
Among his professional honors are his 2006 nomination for department Officer of the Year and a 2007 FWPD Life Saving Award.
The new chief is active in the Pathways to Justice youth mentoring and job skills development program, Operation Progress Fort Worth and the Beyond the Badge community engagement group.
Tarleton, founding member of The Texas A&M University System, provides a student-focused, value-driven education marked by academic innovation and a dedication to transform today’s scholars into tomorrow’s leaders. It offers degree programs to more than 14,000 students at Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Midlothian, RELLIS Academic Alliance in Bryan, and online, emphasizing real-world learning experiences that address societal needs while maintaining its core values of tradition, integrity, civility, excellence, leadership and service.
Contact: Phil Riddle
817-484-4415
[email protected]
