Fort Worth City Council member Chris Nettles confirmed to NBC 5 that former Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia, now serving as an assistant city manager in Austin, is one of five finalists to become the next Fort Worth Police Chief.
Garcia, who led the Dallas Police Department from February 2021 until his departure in October 2024, joined the Austin city administration in November 2024 to oversee public safety as assistant city manager.
Mayor Mattie Parker described the search as “tremendous” and reflective of Fort Worth’s strong reputation in public safety.
“I would just say I’m tremendously proud of the city management team. It’s not an excellent search process. We had a tremendous number of candidates, which goes well for our city,” Parker said. “The best police department in the country, in my opinion, of course.”
The Fort Worth police chief position became vacant after former Chief Neil Noakes announced his retirement in December 2024 and officially stepped down in May 2025.
The city launched a nationwide search, attracting significant interest.
Parker confirmed there are five finalists, four of whom have been publicly identified:
- Eddie Garcia, former Dallas police chief and current Austin assistant city manager
- Interim Fort Worth Chief Robert Alldredge
- Former Dallas deputy chief Vernon Hale
- Los Angeles Deputy Chief Emada Tingirides
The fifth finalist’s name has not been released. Parker said the city will reveal the full list and select the new chief on Tuesday.
Great Job Ahraya Burns & the Team @ NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth Source link for sharing this story.
