Fort Worth residents and local leaders have condemned Council Member Elizabeth Beck’s comments disrespecting the Fort Worth Police Department.
In a city council work session on June 4, council members and Fort Worth Police Department Chief Neil Noakes discussed a “take home city vehicle policy” update. During the discussion, Beck mentioned that Fort Worth had lost two city employees in the line of duty since she took office in 2021.
? BREAKING: Progressive FW Councilmember Elizabeth Beck disrespects the FWPD saying that since she's been in office no police officers have died. Chief Noakes corrected her: “For your information we lost an officer in the line of duty since you've been here, Sgt. Jon Jensen.” pic.twitter.com/GfIX9efWzI
— Carlos Turcios (@Carlos__Turcios) June 5, 2024
She then said, “Thankfully, we have not lost any police officers.”
Noakes corrected Beck.
“For your information, we lost an officer in the line of duty since you’ve been here, Sgt. Jon Jensen died of COVID on duty … injury,” Noakes said, after which he described seeing Jensen’s name etched on a memorial in Washington, D.C.
“We have lost one in your time as a council member,” he stressed.
Beck proceeded to speak over Noakes as he reiterated that an officer was lost during her tenure.
“Well, watch your tone with me. You’ll be respectful because I know that’s very important to you,” Beck said, at which point Mayor Mattie Parker interjected and said, “I think, Council Member Beck, you give respect, you get respect, absolutely.”
Jensen died last year after contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty. He was a U.S. Army veteran and served the Fort Worth Police Department for 26 years.
“Sergeant Jenson was more than just a fellow officer; he was a true pillar of strength within our organization. His dedication to his duty, servant leadership, and mentorship to countless officers will always be remembered. He truly embodied the spirit of the FWPOA,” the Fort Worth Police Officers Association wrote in an October 31, 2023 Facebook post.
Beck’s comments and attitude upset some Fort Worth residents, including some from her own district.
“Councilwoman Beck has shown Fort Worth taxpayers over and over that she has no respect for them, their safety, or their money. Her statement is not shocking when you look back at all she has done and said while in that elected seat. Also, apparently, her mother never told her that interrupting is rude,” Hollie Plemons, a Fort Worth District 9 resident, told The Dallas Express.
Former Pilot Point City Council Member Aaron Rocha also slammed Beck’s comments.
“As a former city councilman for Pilot Point … it blows my mind how other city councilmen don’t seem to understand respect as a two-way street. If there is truly an issue with any officer, publicly demanding respect is the weakest form of government there could possibly be,” Rocha told DX.
Chris Nettles, the council member for District 8 in Fort Worth, told CBS News Texas that he hopes everyone can move on from the dispute.
“I think we have to come to the table and let bygones be bygones and really talk about why it is important — all to make sure that every dollar is spent supporting our communities,” Nettles said.
DX reached out to Beck for comment but did not receive a response by publication.
