Fort Worth City Manager Jay Chapa announced Aug. 21 that former Dallas Police Department Chief Eddie Garcia will be city’s 28th police chief.

The gist

Garcia was chosen from a field of three finalists who took part in a public meet-and-greet Aug. 14 at city hall.

The other finalists were Robert Alldredge Jr., the current interim chief for Fort Worth, and Vernon Hale III, the current assistant chief of police for the Prince George’s County Police Department in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, according to previous reporting.

A fourth finalist, Emada Tingirdes from the Los Angeles Police Department, withdrew her name after getting a promotion in Los Angeles, according to a city news release.

What you need to know

Garcia currently serves as an assistant city manager in Austin and was the police chief in Dallas from February 2021 to October 2024, commanding the ninth-largest police department in the country, according to the news release. He’s been with the city of Austin since he was hired in September 2024, according to a previous reporting.

In Austin, Garcia oversees the fire department, police department, Austin/Travis County EMS, chief medical officer, forensic science department, Homeland Security and Emergency Management and labor relations, according to the city website.

Garcia is part T.C. Broadnax’s staff, who was the former city manager of Dallas. Broadnax was hired as Austin’s city manager May 26, 2024, according to previous Community Impact reporting.

Garcia spent 28 years working for the San Jose Police Department in California, with the last five as police chief from 2016-21.

The background

Mosaic Public Partners conducted the national search and received a total of 51 applicants from 15 states, 92% of which were male and 8% who were female, according to a news release. Nine were interviewed in the semifinalist round, with four selected to move forward as finalists to replace Neil Noakes, who retired May 31.

The Fort Worth police chief oversees a department with 1,896 sworn officers and 574 professional staff members, according to a news release.