TEXAS LEGISLATURE NAMED THE

GEORGE FLOYD ACT AND THE

MIKE RAMOS

ACT. >>> IF YOU CALL 911 TO REPORT A

CRIME IN FORT WORTH, A

CIVILIAN MAY SOON RESPOND INSTEAD OF A

POLICE OFFICER, BUT ONLY FOR

CERTAIN

NON-VIOLENT CALLS. IT'S PART OF A

BRAND NEW CIVILIAN RESPONSE UNIT. THE FIRST CLASS GRADUATES TOMORROW MORNING. AND TONIGHT SCOTT GORDON TAKES A

CLOSER LOOK AT HOW THE NEW PROGRAM WILL WORK. >> Reporter: INSIDE THE

FORT WORTH POLICE ACADEMY THE LATEST

CLASS OF RECRUITS IS TAKING A

FINAL EXAM BEFORE

GRADUATING. BUT THEY WON'T BECOME POLICE

OFFICERS. THEY'RE CIVILIANS WHO WON'T

DRIVE SQUAD CARS BUT MARKED CARS

LIKE THIS ONE.

THEY'LL RESPOND TO CERTAIN

LOW-RISK POLICE CALLS LIKE

ABANDONED CARS, BURGLARIES AND

CREDIT CARD

FRAUD. >> WE'RE NOT ARMED AND WE'RE

NOT GOING TO HAVE NO GUNS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT BUT WE'RE

HERE TO GIVE THE BEST, YOU

KNOW, OUR KNOWLEDGE IS TO PROVIDE THE

BEST

SERVICE. >> Reporter: LIKE HER EIGHT

CLASSMATES VANESSA

CLEMENTINA JUST FINISHED SIX WEEKS OF TRAINING IN HOW TO TAKE

BASIC POLICE REPORTS.

A NATIVE OF BRAZIL, SHE WAS

WORKING AT AMAZON WHEN SHE

APPLIED FOR THIS JOB.

>> THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE BACK

TO THE COMMUNITY, MY

SKILLS. >> Reporter: POLICE SAY THE IDEA FOR THE PROGRAM GREW OUT OF LAST SUMMER'S

PROTESTS. LIEUTENANT CHRIS GLORY IS

SUPERVISING THE

NEW UNIT. >> ONE OF THE THINGS THEY ASKED FOR IS NOT HAVING A POLICE

OFFICER RESPOND TO CALLS THAT DON'T REQUIRE A POLICE

OFFICER. SO WE DECIDED TO LISTEN AND GIVE

THIS UNIT A

TRY SO THEY CAN RESPOND TO THOSE

LOW-LEVEL CALLS AND LEAVE US FREE TO RESPOND

TO THE

EMERGENCIES. >> Reporter: THE CIVILIANS WILL BE ASSIGNED

BULLETPROOF VESTS BUT THEY DON'T PLAN TO BE IN A

SITUATION WHERE THEY'LL

NEED THEM. >> WE'RE VERY CLEAR ON THE FACT

THAT THEY CANNOT GO TO A SCENE

WHERE A SUSPECT

MAY BE PRESENT OR COULD RETURN.

>> Reporter: FOR NOW THEY'LL

WORK MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FROM

7:00 A.M. TO 7:00 P.M. IN

CENTRAL, EAST AND SOUTH FORT

WORTH. THE POLICE SAY THIS MAY BE JUST

THE

BEGINNING. >> THIS IS A GREAT

EXPERIMENT. WE'RE THE

LARGEST DEPARTMENT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT I'M

AWARE OF THAT'S DOING THIS.

AND THE HOPE IS THAT

IF THEY'RE SUCCESSFUL AND RECEIVED WELL

BY THE COMMUNITY WE'LL EXPAND IT TO

COVER

24/7. >> Reporter: FREEING POLICE TO

FOCUS ON MORE VIOLENT CRIMES.

IN FORT WORTH SCOTT GORDON,

NBC 5. >> INTERESTING CONCEPT.

>>> THE GRADUATION CEREMONY IS

AT 9:00 A.M.

TOMORROW. THEY'LL HIT THE STREETS

NEXT WEEK. NOW, RIGHT NOW TWO