Fort Worth names 4 police chief finalists
The candidate list is out for the new leader of the Fort Worth Police Department. It includes at least one very familiar name – former Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia.
FORT WORTH, Texas – The candidate list is out for the new leader of the Fort Worth Police Department. It includes at least one very familiar name – former Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia.
Fort Worth Police Chief Finalists 
What we know:
In addition to Garcia, the four finalists include current Fort Worth Interim Police Chief Robert Alldredge, Assistant Chief of Police for the Prince George County Police Department Vernon Hale, and LAPD Deputy Chief Emada Tingirides.
Robert Alldredge, Jr.
Alldredge is currently serving as Fort Worth’s police chief in an interim role.
Overall, he has 30 years of law enforcement experience, 26 of those years have been with the Fort Worth Police Department.
Over the years, he’s held commanding roles in nearly every division of the department and has leadership experience in areas ranging from operational efficiency to crisis intervention and community engagement.
Alldredge is a U.S. Air Force veteran. He and his wife have three children and two grandchildren.
What they’re saying:
“An excellent candidate without a doubt. He knows the city. That’s gonna be I think the most beneficial part of his resume is that he has experience here,” said Bob Ray Sanders, a Fort Worth community activist.
Eddie Garcia
Garcia was the chief of the Dallas Police Department from 2021 until October 2024.
He retired from his role in Dallas to take an assistant city manager role in Austin, overseeing the city’s public safety. The decision came just four months after Garcia announced that he had reached an agreement with the city that would keep him in Dallas into 2027.
When he left DPD, Garcia told FOX 4 he wanted to be able to be in a position with better work-life balance.
During Garcia’s time in Dallas, city leaders credited him with reducing crime and improving morale in the department.
He has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience, including serving as San Jose’s police chief from 2016 to 2021.
What they’re saying:
“When you realize he didn’t stay very long in Dallas, he went to Austin as an assistant city manager, and he certainly has not been there long, how long will he be here if he were chosen? That would be my only concern,” Sanders said.
“I would hope the police chief would have a five-year contract minimum as a commitment to what you want to do with the city of Fort Worth,” added Cory Session, another Fort Worth community activist.
Vernon Hale
Hale began his law enforcement career in Dallas and rose to the rank of deputy chief after 26 years of service.
He then served as the police chief for the Galveston Police Department and the Assistant Chief of Police for the Prince George County Police Department in Maryland.
There he’s credited with successfully reducing violent and overall crime, as well as strengthening community partnerships.
He’s earned numerous awards and recognitions over the years for his leadership and lifelong dedication to public service.
What they’re saying:
“Mr. Hale, out of Dallas, police chief a couple of times over in different cities, has his pulse on the community as well. So it’ll be a very hard choice,” Session said.
Emada Tingirides
Tingirides has served LAPD for the past 30 years and is currently serving as the commanding officer of the department’s Operations Central Bureau, which includes Downtown Los Angeles.
She has experience overseeing responses to large-scale events, including protests, celebrations, concerts, and sporting events.
Tingirides has a strong focus on constitutional policing, officer readiness, and multi-agency coordination.
She’s also worked in the Community Relations Office to rebuild trust in historically underserved communities, ultimately helping to reduce violent crime in the area.
What they’re saying:
“I understand she comes with an exemplary record of being a community kind of police officer who knows how to get things done, comes up with programs that work in a city as complex as Los Angeles. So I’m impressed,” Sanders said.
Fort Worth Police Chief Search
The backstory:
Fort Worth has been searching for a new leader since Chief Neil Noakes retired in May.
The city launched a nationwide search for a replacement after Noakes’ departure.
Applications opened on May 4 and closed one month later. A total of 51 candidates applied, mostly men.
The first round of interviews took place on June 25, and nine candidates made it to the semifinalist round. Four finalists were announced on Tuesday morning.
What they’re saying:
Fort Worth City Manager Jay Chapa said in a statement that the city’s commitment toward embracing a diverse group of candidates continues to be a priority.
“I’m tremendously proud of the city management team that’s led an excellent search process. We had a tremendous number of candidates, which bodes well for our city, the best police department in the country, in my opinion, of course,” Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said.
Sanders said he’s happy to have four great options to choose from.
“The great thing for me is that we have great choices. And I don’t know that we could go wrong either way,” he said.
“You have four very strong candidates, each bringing a litany of experience,” Session added. “It’ll be hard to pick which one and I’ll be interested to see how they field questions from people in the community.”
What’s next:
Fort Worth will host a public meeting on Aug. 14 for residents to meet the finalists. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall and will be streamed on the city’s website.
People can also submit questions online at bit.ly/FWPD-chief-forum.
The Source: The information in this story was provided by the city of Fort Worth, past reporting on Eddie Garcia and comments made by Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker on Monday night.
Fort Worth Police DepartmentFort WorthCrime and Public Safety