Community leaders, rank-and-file officers and elected officials are weighing what’s most needed in the next police chief — namely someone who can build trust.
With Fort Worth’s list of police chief candidates narrowed to three, that concern looks different between stakeholders, but top-of-mind for all is a wish to bridge the gap between the public and police.
“The last thing we want is people to be afraid of the police, especially here in Fort Worth,” said Nestor Martinez, president of Fort Worth’s chapter of the National Latino Law Enforcement Organization.
Fort Worth’s remaining finalists, announced July 15, include interim Police Chief Robert Alldredge, former Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia and former Dallas Deputy Chief Vernon Hale III. All have led law enforcement agencies locally and/or nationally.
Alldredge was expected by many to be a top contender, as assistant chiefs are often considered front-runners when a chief steps down. Garcia is well known in North Texas following three years in Dallas where he garnered a reputation for his charisma, support of officers and efforts to make the department more transparent.
While elected officials were not as familiar with Hale, they expressed optimism about the Oak Cliff native who is familiar with Black and Latino communities in North Texas.
Police officers want chief to be inclusive, fair
Improving the police department’s relationship with people of color after multiple periods of tension in the past decade was repeatedly brought up by stakeholders as a priority across the city.
Cedric Gutter, president of the Fort Worth Black Law Enforcement Officers Association, said he has one central ask for whoever fills the shoes of chief: fair opportunities for both officers of color and the community.
Black officers haven’t always felt they’ve had fair opportunities within the department, he said.
“The Black community just wants to be treated fair, wants to be respected,” Gutter said.
Roy Hudson, previous president of the Black police association and a former Fort Worth cop of 26 years, echoed that concern, saying the city needs a chief who is sensitive to the community’s needs for trust and transparency.
He said he grew up under Chief Thomas Windham, “the best chief we ever had,” and hopes the next leader is similarly innovative in community outreach and promoting fairness within the department.
“He saw the big picture. He gave us opportunities that we weren’t normally afforded,” Hudson said of Windham, who was chief from 1985 to his death in 2000. “He changed the culture of policing within our city. He brought community policing to our department.”
Public perceptions of law enforcement shared concern
Across the nation, police officers must navigate the wariness of law enforcement in some Latino communities as President Donald Trump puts pressure on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport and curb illegal immigration.
“(We need) something to calm the panic and the issues that folks have,” said Martinez, an officer of 24 years. “You see all those postings on Facebook that ‘ICE is over here’ and ‘Police are out here enforcing immigration issues.’ A lot of times, that’s just not the case. It’s just officers that are doing things that we’ve done for a long time.”
The next chief must prioritize communication and public education about the department’s approach to immigration enforcement and how it’s responding to national and state directives, Martinez said.
For years, police have worked with federal agencies such as ICE, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the FBI, Martinez said. Officers aren’t arresting anyone randomly, he added.
The community’s trust in law enforcement also becomes a concern when instances of police brutality come up, Hudson said.
In 2016, Fort Worth appeared in national headlines for the police department’s treatment of Jacqueline Craig, a Black woman who called 911 in 2016 to report that her 7-year-old son had been assaulted. The call she thought would result in assistance from local law enforcement ended in Craig and her 15-year-old daughter being forced to the ground and placed in handcuffs with a taser pointed at them.
In 2019, outcry over police relations with communities of color was reignited by the fatal shooting of Atatiana Jefferson, a Black woman killed in her home by a police officer dispatched to investigate an open front door at the property.
Moments like this — as well as national incidents like the death of George Floyd in 2020 — “pour water over the ant hill,” destroying all progress in community relations and forcing the city to start over, Hudson said.
A chief must build community trust through constant, open and honest communication with residents, he said.
“(For) true community policing, we need a chief that’s actively out there, who’s listening to the people who do have a problem, that don’t trust police, the people that don’t go to church, the people that are skipping school, the people that historically have issues,” Hudson said.
An innovative leader
Fort Worth needs an innovative leader who brings fresh ideas to the city, some local leaders said.
Ann Zadeh, executive director of Community Design Fort Worth and former City Council member, said she was interested in the qualifications of former finalist Emada Tingirides, deputy chief of the Los Angeles Police Department. Tingirides is best known for helping create LA’s Community Safety Partnership, a nationally recognized model for relationship-based policing in underserved communities.
Tingirides withdrew from consideration for chief shortly after being announced as a finalist because she received a promotion in her hometown.
Zadeh wants to see the recommendations of Fort Worth’s 2018 race and culture task force implemented. The 25-member task force formed in 2018 to rebuild trust between communities of color and law enforcement after Craig’s arrest.
The 85-page report aimed to reduce racial and cultural disparities and led to several new initiatives, including the 2020 creation of the city-led Office of Police Oversight Monitor.
Many recommendations, including one to create a citizen oversight board, were shut down or are in limbo, a fact Black community leaders have emphasized they’d like a new chief to change.
Looking for ‘the best person for the job’
Council member Carlos Flores said as he gets to know the candidates, he’s looking for the one who is skilled at developing public trust through community policing as well as effectively engaging with the community and the council.
“I want someone who can inspire confidence and a sense of unity in the department, right? A single mission that is service to the public,” he said.
Council member Carlos Flores asks the speaker a question June 17, 2025, during a city council work session at Fort Worth City Hall. (Mary Abby Goss | Fort Worth Report)
Council member Chris Nettles is keeping an open mind toward Alldredge and Hale, he said. He feels Garcia should be disqualified, as he submitted his application a few days after the application period had closed.
Council member Michael Crain said he doesn’t consider the late application an issue, as in his experience “deadlines are arbitrary” in an executive search process like the one for police chief.
“The ultimate goal is to find the best person for the job,” Crain said. “So, yes, you say applications close at a certain time, but this happens all the time in business. It’s just part of the process.”
Fort Worth City Council member Michael Crain, left, speaks during a meeting June 24, 2025, at City Hall. (Mary Abby Goss | Fort Worth Report)
Nettles said he wants a chief committed to staying in Fort Worth, and he’s unsure if Garcia would do so. Garcia’s exit from Dallas came shortly after he committed to stay in Dallas until at least May 2027.
“Fort Worth is an up-and-coming city, one of the fastest-growing cities. We can’t have people who just up and leave in the middle of situations, and I have real concern and real doubt that he would give commitment to Fort Worth,” Nettles said.
Fort Worth City Council member Chris Nettles speaks during a meeting June 24, 2025, at City Hall. (Mary Abby Goss | Fort Worth Report)
Have questions?
Residents get their first chance to meet the candidates at a 5:30 p.m. forum on Aug. 14 at City Hall. Community members can submit suggestions for questions at the forum ahead of time online.
Three finalists bring decades of police leadership, local knowledge
City Manager Jay Chapa narrowed the choices for the next police chief to three. The Fort Worth Report asked various stakeholders what they thought about the finalists and what the city needs. Here’s a look at the candidates.
Robert Alldredge
(Cecilia Lenzen | Fort Worth Report)
Age: 56
Current position: Fort Worth interim chief
Background: Fort Worth cop since 1999, previously served in the U.S. Air Force during Operation Desert Storm.
What they’re saying:
Alldredge rose through the Fort Worth Police Department’s ranks over the past 26 years, earning wide respect from council members and gaining institutional knowledge of the city. He most recently held the position of assistant chief.
Council members have praised the reputation he’s built in the community and his accomplishments in law enforcement, such as the police’s response to the Fort Worth “No Kings” protest, which saw over 2,000 people fill Burk Burnett Park to protest the Trump administration’s perceived authoritarian oversteps. The protest stayed peaceful, and the police response was commended as unobtrusive and respectful.
Eddie Garcia
(Courtesy photo | City of Dallas)
Age: 54
Current position: Austin assistant city manager, overseeing public safety
Background: Three years as Dallas police chief, 29 years as a cop in San Jose, California
What they’re saying:
Garcia’s leadership has garnered praise for his charisma and his hands-on leadership style during his time in Dallas. His Dallas leadership is predominantly marked by his initiatives to make the department more transparent with a use-of-force dashboard, which he previously created in San Jose.
Vernon Hale
(Courtesy photo | City of Fort Worth)
Age: 55
Most recent position: Assistant police chief of Prince George’s County Police Department in Maryland
Background:
Hale, an Oak Cliff native, joined the Dallas Police Department in 1991 and stayed in the city over 26 years, rising to the rank of deputy chief. His experience includes commanding the Narcotics Division and leading the South Central and Southwest Patrol Divisions.
In 2018, he joined the Galveston Police Department as police chief, then in 2021 became assistant police chief of Prince George’s County Police Department. The law enforcement agency is a comparable size to Fort Worth’s, carrying an authorized strength of 1,736 officers and 329 staff.
Fort Worth’s department has 1,896 sworn officers and 574 professional staff members.
Drew Shaw is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org or @shawlings601.
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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