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Chief: Officers driving drunk will be fired

Termination will be effective immediately after the violation is sustained

By Deanna Boyd
The Star-Telegram

FORT WORTH — One day after another of his officers was accused of drunken driving, Fort Worth Police Chief Jeff Halstead said Thursday that “we’ve had enough” and that any officer whose DWI accusation is “sustained” by internal affairs will be quickly fired.

“My message is very, very strong to every employee in this organization, sworn or civilian: You cannot drink and drive any longer unless you want to throw your career down the drain, because I will not tolerate it,” Halstead said Thursday morning at a news conference, flanked by department brass and people who have lost loved ones to drunken drivers.

The change essentially reverses a previous decision by the chief to handle DWI allegations case by case and subject officers to punishments ranging from a 15-day suspension to termination. That replaced a policy of automatic termination that was in place when Halstead took over in 2008.

Full Story: Fort Worth chief says he’ll fire officers caught driving drunk