\u201cThat\u2019s the cornerstone of who I am, is to always be visible in my community,\u201d Garc\u00eda told the Fort Worth Report after mingling with about a dozen residents at a town hall at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden this month.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His tour of the city helps deliver on a promise Garc\u00eda made to the public after being named the new police chief<\/a>, and one he\u2019s repeated consistently at public meetings and in private conversations: \u201cWe will work to earn and maintain your trust every single day.\u201d<\/p>\n Fort Worth resident Naomi Dillard attended a town hall with Garc\u00eda in October at the Worth Heights Community Center in south Fort Worth. She said she found the chief \u201cvery personable,\u201d and she appreciated the effort he\u2019s put into connecting with the public.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s not like on a big high horse,\u201d Dillard said. \u201cHe\u2019s down here with us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Garc\u00eda left his job in the Austin city manager\u2019s office overseeing public safety after less than a year to take the position as Fort Worth police chief. Before Austin, he led the Dallas Police Department for about three and a half years.<\/p>\n Since moving back to North Texas, Garc\u00eda has met community advocates, neighborhood association members, and citizens on patrol at the meetings, usually hosted by City Council members in their districts. Those attended by the Fort Worth Report followed a casual agenda that included informal mingling with the chief and other police personnel, remarks from Garc\u00eda on his vision for the police department and Q&A\u2019s with residents.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rosemary Galdiano, a member of the police department\u2019s Citizens on Patrol<\/a> program, felt encouraged after meeting Garc\u00eda at the Worth Heights meeting. A lifelong Fort Worth resident, she said she hasn\u2019t seen a police chief \u201creach out to the community in this way\u201d since Chief Ralph Mendoza\u2019s tenure in the 2000s.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really important, and I think it\u2019s great that he\u2019s making that effort within the first 30 days of his taking on the role. That kind of sets the tone,\u201d Galdiano said in October.\u00a0<\/p>\n Early and consistent effort to meet the community was essential as he took control of the police department, Garc\u00eda said, because \u201cleadership is being present.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Having worked with a community oversight board throughout his police career \u2014 which included leading the Dallas and San Jose police departments \u2014 he wants residents to know not just who he is and what he looks like but also that they can approach him with concerns about public safety, law enforcement and police accountability.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first time our community sees us can\u2019t be in a moment of crisis,\u201d Garc\u00eda told attendees at the meeting at the botanic garden.\u00a0<\/p>\n While serving residents, public engagement is also a win-win for police personnel, Garc\u00eda said. By getting out in the community, officers are constantly reminded \u201cwhy it is you\u2019re sacrificing what you\u2019re sacrificing\u201d for a life in uniform, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n He promised to maintain his commitment to meeting and serving residents across all Fort Worth neighborhoods as the city grows and as he continues to settle into his new home. It\u2019s a commitment he made in gratitude.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen the community asks for more presence, that\u2019s a gift,\u201d Garc\u00eda said. \u201cIt\u2019s a gift that doesn\u2019t happen everywhere, and so we have to treat that as a gift to ensure that we don\u2019t ever lose that.\u201d\u00a0<\/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
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