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Business Plan Return to Table of Contents
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The department also assisted the Arlington community, Fire Department and medical profession during the pandemic. Officers
provided escorts and security at several difference vaccination sites and during food drives to support families. Facing risks to
public safety, officers showed up and went the extra mile in responding to calls for service and connecting with residents through
new online forums that were modified due to the pandemic.

The department also was selected by the U.S. Department of Justice as a best practices agency and replication model to lead
national efforts in the area of investigating and responding to hate crimes. The training program was initially developed in 2019,
however, U.S. DOJ implemented the national program based upon Arlington’s model in 2020.

The World Series was held in Arlington in 2020, which required strategic planning and safety operations to ensure that fans and
players were able to meet in a safe and socially distanced manner. The Special Events Unit is no stranger to preparing for and
hosting large-scale events. The Wrangle National Finals Rodeo was also held at Globe Life Field where thousands of rodeo
fans traveled to Arlington to experience the “Super Bowl” of rodeos.

The Arlington Police Department hired a new Chief of Police in January
2021, with Alexander Jones taking the helm from Baltimore County
Police Department. Chief Jones has challenged staff to think outside of
the box when it comes to building proactive and positive relationships
with young people and adults alike. While the department has always
had several nationally recognized youth engagement programs such as
Coach 5-0, Mentoring Arlington Youth, Explorers, and Hometown
Recruiting, Chief Jones started implementing youth initiatives deep
inside the community outside of police facilities. Officers regularly attend
events and meet ups at barber shops, on the practice field, and at
basketball courts around the city.

In 2021, the department hosted a first-ever baseball clinic with summer camp kids from the Arlington Parks and Recreation
Department and the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation. Kids arrived at the ballpark and were able to build baseball skillsets,
take a tour of the stadium and meet Arlington’s Finest. We also begin a new program, “Cooking with Cops,” which allows officers
to host BBQ events across the city with residents.

The Public Works and Transportation Department is comprised of the following divisions: Business Services,
Construction Services, Engineering Operations, Environmental Management, Floodplain Management, Information Services,
Operations Support, Stormwater Engineering, Stormwater Operations, Street Maintenance, Traffic Engineering, and Traffic
Operations. These divisions function together to design, build, and maintain street and drainage infrastructure and are
responsible for mobility optimization through traffic engineering and technological innovation, and provision of signals,
streetlights, and regulatory signs and markings. Public Works and Transportation staff are also responsible for the quality of
surface water in the City of Arlington by inspecting private construction activities, municipal and industrial facilities that have the
potential to impact surface water quality, and enforcement of local, state, and federal water quality and environmental
regulations.

Department staff moved quickly to respond to the EF2 tornado that touched down in East Arlington on November 24, 2020. Staff
dedicated 323 labor hours clearing 851 cubic yards of debris from the roadways and restoring city infrastructure in the aftermath
of the storm. The emergency response capabilities of the department were once again tested by Winter Storm Uri in February
2021. The department spent 466 labor hours preparing roadways in advance of and during the storm, using 2,950 gallons of
salt brine to prevent snow and ice from bonding to the surface and provided 133 labor hours completing pavement repairs in
support of the Water Utilities Department’s efforts to repair water infrastructure damaged by Uri.
In support of City Council’s priorities to Enhance Regional Mobility and Champion Great Neighborhoods, the department’s
Capital Improvement and Street Maintenance Programs are responsible for the infrastructure improvements and maintenance
for a roadway network of over 3,000 lane miles. This is accomplished by resurfacing roadways in poor condition and beyond

FY 2022 Adopted Budget and Business Plan 19 City of Arlington, Texas