Eddie Garcia's possible comeback
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Eddie Garcia was the city's first Latino police chief. Photo: Cooper Neill for The Washington Post via Getty Images
Former Dallas police chief Eddie Garcia, who left last year to become an assistant city manager in Austin, is now vying for the top cop job in Fort Worth.
Why it matters: Fort Worth is Texas' fourth largest city and the country's 11th largest, per the latest Census Bureau figures.
- The city's next police chief will be tasked with implementing public safety policies, maintaining the public's trust and weighing relationships with other agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Driving the news: Garcia is a finalist for the Fort Worth chief, as are interim chief Robert Alldredge Jr., former Dallas deputy chief Vernon Hale III and Los Angeles deputy chief Emada Tingirides, the city announced Tuesday.
State of play: The Fort Worth Police Department has around 1,900 officers and 574 professional staff members and often has to compete with other nearby departments for recruits.
Zoom in: Tingirides is the only woman finalist. She has spent 30 years with LAPD and was first lady Michelle Obama's guest at the 2015 State of the Union.
- Alldredge has spent 26 years at the Fort Worth Police Department and has served in almost all of the department's major divisions.
- Hale left Dallas after a 26-year career to become Galveston's police chief in 2018. He is now an assistant police chief in Prince George's County, Maryland.
- Garcia has spent over 30 years in public safety, including a stint as president of the Major Cities Chiefs Association. He called himself a "blue collar chief" in Dallas and was popular among the rank-and-file and city leaders.
The intrigue: Dallas officials tried holding on to Garcia, but he left to work for Austin city manager TC Broadnax, who used to be Dallas' city manager.
- Garcia said at the time that he planned to retire from law enforcement.
What we're wondering: What sparked Garcia's interest in returning to North Texas and policing, just months after leaving for Austin.
- His office in Austin did not reply to Axios' request for comment.
What's next: Fort Worth will host a forum on Aug. 14 for community members to meet the finalists. Residents can submit questions for the event through Aug. 8.
- Fort Worth city manager Jay Chapa plans to making a hiring decision by Labor Day, per the DMN.