Fort Worthian turns tragedy into donation to make Trinity Trails safer

It has been seven years since Jesca Arnold was attacked by a man on the Trinity Trails.

Shortly after the traumatic incident, in which she suffered life-threatening injuries, city officials assured her that safety improvements would be made. She was satisfied with the response and decided not to take further action.

Then, in March 2021, Arnold heard of another attack — this time in a Fort Worth park — that was similar to her own experience.

Jesca Arnold and her father, Don Arnold, knew they had to do something to prevent further violence. Now, three years after founding their nonprofit organization Safe + Happy Trails, the two have made a statement with a donation to the Tarrant Regional Water District.

The $35,000 donation will allow the agency to test a smart power pole, a device equipped with 24-hour surveillance, video, gunshot detection, emergency buttons and tracking, Jesca Arnold said.

This 24/7 surveillance video is transmitted to the Fort Worth Real Time Crime Center, which allows potential victims to be tracked down and receive help from police more quickly. The towers will serve as a test platform for various security equipment, including cameras and sophisticated voice recognition systems, according to the district.

The duo met with the Tarrant Regional Water District a year ago to discuss the possibility of installing the poles, citing their potential to improve community safety. The authority’s board voted to accept the donation on July 16.

“It fits very well with their mission because they own the trails,” Don Arnold said. “They take the ball and really run with it. The timing was perfect.”

Leah King, board president of the Tarrant Regional Water District, is looking forward to the installation of the poles and is grateful for the Arnolds’ efforts to keep their community safe.

“Sometimes out of the most difficult things comes something truly valuable and important,” King said during the meeting. “Thinking of others in a tragic situation is incredibly generous.”

The Tarrant Regional Water District is considering adding solar lighting to improve visibility of trails in the future, according to district documents.

The Arnolds worked with ClearWorld, a manufacturer of outdoor solar lights, to develop the poles. The company donated some parts to help the Arnolds with their project.

A $50,000 donation from the City of Fort Worth’s Crime Control Prevention District, which funds crime-fighting organizations, also helped the Arnolds develop a product to solve problems along the trails, including a lack of outdoor lighting for visitors.

The posts will do more than just protect people from attacks, said Jesca Arnold. If someone were to suffer a heart attack, the police would be able to locate the person immediately and provide assistance thanks to the posts’ technology.

Although designing and implementing the masts was a difficult task, Jesca Arnold wants to achieve only one thing as a result.

“Something like this must never happen again,” she said, referring to the attacks on the hiking trails. “I just want people to feel safe.”

Ryan Thorpe is an audience engagement writer for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at [email protected]. At The Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy Here.

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