Fort Worth Launches $97K Gun Safety Campaign

0:00Fort Worth is stepping up with a $97,000 ad push to curb illegal gunfire that's endangering folks city-wide. Arrests for these reckless shots jumped 28% lately, mostly hitting suspects aged 16-23, city leaders revealed ad. Their April 7th council session. Police chief Eddie Garcia made it clear these aren't harmless celebrations. They're straight up violent crimes that spike around the 4th of July and New Year's Eve. The keep popping off all year. Bullets can fly up to three miles, smashing homes or hurting innocents with penalties up to a $4,000 fine in a full year behind bars. If no one's hurt, council members gave the plan big props during the session, stressing the need to hit more school districts like Crowley and Keller beyond just fort. Worth's own. They also push for ties with nonprofits on gun safety and chief Garcia confirmed cops are already eyeing messages about locking of firearms to cut.

1:01Down on thefts from cars and houses. The campaign kicks off in May 2026 through January 2026, starting with Facebook ads inside Lupe 20, then Spotify, for the young crowd and YouTube later. About $7,000 goes to newspaper spots for older residents on how to report crimes, plus partnerships with the school district and YMCA, to school parents and teens. This targeted blitz aims to shift mindsets before the next holiday chaos hits, building safer blocks one-aware neighbor at a time. From your city, powered by AI, this is Dallas News Today.