FORT WORTH — A day after Fort Worth Police Chief Jeffrey Halstead announced his retirement, the local chapter of a Latino police officers association released a statement criticizing Halstead for not working more with the group and saying he is leaving without accomplishing some objectives.
Halstead announced Tuesday that he would step down as police chief to start his own consulting business to help other police departments and communities. On Wednesday, the National Latino Peace Officers Association Fort Worth Chapter said Halstead “chose to shun” the group for years.“Chief Halstead contributed significantly to negatively impacting and damaging the positive progress accomplished by our association. Three years into his reign he demoted our highest ranking Hispanic Deputy Chief due to political pressure received by former city officials,” chapter president Nestor B. Martinez wrote. It took Halstead five years to recognize the association and have regularly scheduled meetings, he said.“We could have been a significant asset during his most trying times during the early part of his career as our chief, but instead he chose to shun us for years,” the statement read. The Fort Worth Black Law Enforcement Officers’ Association called for his resignation in August, its president Sgt. Roy Hudson saying he has “irreparably harmed the careers of many minority officers” after an outside investigation into complaints filed by three black officers. Martinez wrote that since Halstead took over the department has been “plagued with negative incident after negative incident.”Halstead is leaving with critical issues unresolved, including that his five-year strategic plan to address staffing issues and the need for a North Patrol Division, will be placed on hold during a national search for a new chief. Halstead is shirking responsibility placed on him as the result of a $45,000 independent investigation into the department’s “discriminatory harassment and treatment of its black officers.”“Chief Halstead leaves with impending civil litigation and in the midst of officers fighting for their careers for which they strongly believe they were wrongfully terminated. From Chief Halstead's position, it appears the timing could not be better for his resignation,” the statement said. Martinez could not be reached to answer questions late Wednesday. This report includes material from the Star-Telegram archives.Monica S. Nagy, 817-390-7792 Twitter:@MonicaNagyFWST
