\u201cYou will be treated with dignity and respect by your police department,\u201d Garc\u00eda told the public during a news conference Friday morning. \u201cWe will work to earn and maintain your trust every single day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garc\u00eda, born in Puerto Rico and fluent in Spanish, will be Fort Worth\u2019s 28th police chief. He starts the job Sept. 22.<\/p>\n
His racial identity is beneficial to his role as police chief, Garc\u00eda said, particularly in a city such as Fort Worth with its large Latino community. Fort Worth\u2019s population of one million residents is 63% people of color and 35% of those are Hispanic, according to 2025 census estimates.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After moving from Puerto Rico to California as a child, Garc\u00eda said, he had to learn to speak and write in English. He grew up in a multigenerational household with a single mother and \u201cdealt with a lot, a lot of issues\u201d that immigrants face.<\/p>\n
\u201cAside from the fact that Puerto Rico\u2019s part of the United States, I grew up like a lot of our immigrant communities,\u201d Garc\u00eda said. \u201cThat\u2019s molded me to be the chief I am because, as a chief, I want people around the table that have different perspectives in life.\u201d<\/p>\n
That relatability will help guide how Garc\u00eda approaches building relationships across the city. He said he looks forward to hosting community meetings in English in one part of Fort Worth before \u201cshooting across town and doing that same community meeting in Spanish.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked how he envisions the Fort Worth Police Department\u2019s role in enforcing federal immigration orders, Garc\u00eda said, \u201cRegardless of immigration status, we go after the criminal act.\u201d He noted that his soon-to-be department has no authority over what happens to undocumented immigrants who are lawfully arrested for a crime.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fort Worth police book arrestees into the Tarrant County Jail, which screens inmates\u2019 immigration statuses and flags undocumented immigrants for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump\u2019s administration has increased daily arrests and deportations after the president promised to carry out the largest mass deportation in U.S. history. City officials told the Fort Worth Report earlier this month they have no immediate plans to formally collaborate with ICE<\/a>, but neighboring Keller recently opted into such an agreement<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Gar\u00edca said his own conversations with ICE officials showed the entity\u2019s focus is on detaining undocumented immigrants who are violent criminals. Municipal police are obligated by state law to assist in responding to violent crime, he said, so his advice to immigrant communities is simple.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t become a priority, and keep living your lives,\u201d he said. \u201cDon\u2019t commit a crime, and you more than likely will not be a priority.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Garc\u00eda said he plans to \u201cbe present\u201d by attending community meetings, knocking doors to meet residents, frequenting neighborhood shopping centers and meeting the Fort Worth residents where they\u2019re at. That way, he\u2019ll learn the different dynamics, wants and needs of various communities, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really just not nuclear physics. It\u2019s just roll up your sleeves and get out there,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n He said he\u2019s open to the possibility of creating a citizen-led police oversight board \u2014\u00a0something communities of color have long asked for but council members voted down in 2022<\/a>. He said he plans to speak with Bonycle Sokunbi, director of the city-staffed Office of the Police Oversight Monitor, to get her feedback before issuing his own opinion.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, he emphasized that he has worked with such a board throughout his police career and sees oversight and accountability as essential.\u00a0<\/p>\n His compassion- and accountability-driven approach shouldn\u2019t be mistaken for weakness, Garc\u00eda said during the news conference. He promised to bolster the police department\u2019s ranks and pursue criminals \u201crelentlessly.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe will defend our community, and all criminals will have every reason to fear this police department,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Garc\u00eda is currently an assistant city manager overseeing public safety in Austin, where he worked for about nine months. Before that, he served as Dallas Police chief for about three and a half years. He began his career in law enforcement with the San Jose Police Department in California, where he held multiple positions including chief.\u00a0<\/p>\n City Manager Jay Chapa said his decision to hire Garc\u00eda was \u201cto lean in on Eddie\u2019s proven success\u201d leading two major U.S. cities.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHe has a track record of building trusted officers, boosting employee morale and connecting with the residents of diverse communities,\u201d Chapa said. \u201cEddie brings a full package of what we want to see in the next chief.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Garc\u00eda takes over the city\u2019s top law enforcement post from interim Chief Robert Alldredge, who has led the department since Chief Neil Noakes\u2019 retirement in May. Alldredge was a finalist for the role along with former Dallas Police Deputy Chief Vernon Hale and Emada Tingirides of the Los Angeles Police Department, who withdrew her candidacy after receiving a promotion in her hometown.\u00a0<\/p>\n Government accountability reporter Drew Shaw contributed reporting. <\/p>\n Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0822-GarciaPresser-02.jpg\")
Eddie Garc\u00eda, center, claps as Mayor Mattie Parker speaks during a news conference announcing his hire as Fort Worth Police chief Aug. 22, 2025. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report\/CatchLight Local\/Report for America)<\/p>\n
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