Fort Worth police chief candidates make their pitches for city’s top cop job
Transparency, accountability and community relations took center stage at Fort Worth City Hall on Thursday as the three men vying to be the city’s next police chief made their pitches to the public.
The three finalists are Robert Alldredge, the current interim chief; Eddie Garcia, a former Dallas police chief; and Vernon Hale, a former Dallas deputy police chief and police chief in Galveston.
Each took part in an hourlong meet-and-greet with members of the public before a 90-minute panel discussion moderated by WFAA anchor and reporter Dia Wall.
Wall started by questioning the candidates about their approach to intense public scrutiny.
Garcia talked about the importance of being transparent and advocating for giving the public as much information as possible to ward off potential misinformation.
Hale talked about building relationships with community members, which he called “social equity deposits” that that can be drawn upon when a crisis hits.
Alldredge also talked about the importance of transparency, saying it was important for police departments to “tell your story.” He referenced the July 2023 shooting by an arson investigator, noting the department was able to quickly release body camera footage that gave a clearer picture of what happened.
The men were also asked about how they use data to target criminal response.
Alldredge noted his department’s use of security cameras and neighborhood patrol officers to see where crime is occurring and prevent innocent bystanders from being affected by enforcement.
Garcia spoke about his experience in Dallas, where his department targeted small areas of the city affected by violent crime with extra police resources, as well as having a holistic approach to address the root causes of crime.
Police departments are like Tylenol and Advil, Garcia said. They treat the symptoms of the disease, but they aren’t the cure.
Hale recounted his experience in Prince George’s County, Maryland, where after a series of meetings with community leaders, his department was able to reduce crime in a neighborhood that had been neglected for decades.
Each was also asked about their approach to police oversight.
Garcia noted that oversight had always been a part of his department during his time as an officer in San Jose, California.
“We are a profession that can legally take people’s rights away, and we need someone watching us who can make sure we’re doing that right,” he said.
Alldredge noted that oversight is a relatively new concept in the Fort Worth police department that came out of the 2017 Race and Culture Taskforce report.
He noted the department has an Office of Police Oversight Monitor that works well recommending policy changes, as well as mediating disputes between members of the public and police.
Hale said oversight is not optional, but there should be discussion about the form it takes. He advocated for creating boards within the community to address concerns and improve the department.
In his closing statement, Alldredge pointed to his institutional knowledge as the biggest reason for him to become the next chief.
He pointed to the relationships he’s built with Fort Worth residents, business leaders and goverment officials, and his experience with the growth of the department as reasons he would be successful in the role.
Hale talked about his wealth of life experience and his “three p’s” of policing in making his closing argument. He said he would provide resources to the public, project residents to their highest potential, and protect members of the public, sometimes from themselves.
Garcia talked about his experience as chief in Dallas and in San Jose. He said he brings a wealth of knowledge from those jobs, and would do the job in a way that looks out for the best interests of both the public and the rank-and-file officers.
The city announced four finalists on July 15, although one of them — Los Angeles Deputy Police Chief Emada Tingerides — withdrew from contention after getting a promotion within her current department.
The candidates met in private with members of the City Council ahead of the forum, along with a series of panels made up of residents, representatives from police command and the Fort Worth Police Officers Association.
City Manager Jay Chapa will make a hiring decision before getting the sign-off from the City Council in early September.
Who are the candidates for Fort Worth police chief?
Robert Alldredge
Alldredge, 56, has been with the Fort Worth department since 1999, working his way up from patrol officer to assistant police chief before being appointed interim chief in May following the departure of Neil Noakes.
He’s an Air Force veteran of Operation Desert Storm, holds two degrees in criminal justice from Tarleton State University, and graduated from the FBI academy in 2017.
In his most recent position as assistant chief, Alldredge became a fixture at council meetings with updates on recruitment, policy changes and efforts to address illegal fireworks and crime in the West 7th entertainment district.
He received praise from several council members for his integrity and professionalism ahead of the vote to approve his interim appointment in May.
Eddie Garcia
Garcia, 54, is best known locally for his four-year career as head of the Dallas Police Department, but most of his law enforcement career was spent in his hometown of San Jose, California.
Garcia was born in Puerto Rico and moved to San Jose with his mother when he was 5. He joined the San Jose Police Department in 1992 and rose through the ranks from patrol officer to chief in 2016.
He worked to stabilize the force amid a crisis with officer retention and increased transparency with a use-of-force data portal for residents.
Garcia became the first Latino police chief in Dallas when he got the job in 2021. He continued his work to increase transparency while also addressing a post-COVID pandemic crime spike.
Violent crime in Dallas fell 19% during his tenure as chief.
Garcia left Dallas — and law enforcement — for an assistant city manager position in Austin, overseeing the city’s public safety. He said the decision was motivated by a desire to spend more time with family and work a more predictable schedule.
Garcia’s candidacy generated controversy after it was revealed he was allowed to apply after a suggested deadline. Fort Worth council member Chris Nettles alleged favoritism and called for Garcia to be withdrawn from contention.
However, the city manager said Garcia’s application got the same level of scrutiny as the 50 other applicants, and that the deadline was flexible to allow for the best qualified candidates to apply.
Vernon Hale
Hale’s most recent law enforcement posting has been in Maryland, but he spent the majority of his career in Dallas.
The 55-year-old Oak Cliff native served in the department for 26 years, working in narcotics, undercover and eventually serving as a department spokesperson and deputy chief.
Hale left Dallas in 2017 for a job as police chief in Galveston. Hale emphasized creating a trust in the community through positive interactions with residents.
“I can’t help people that I don’t know, and don’t meet, and don’t listen to, and basically more officers need to do that as well,” Hale said.
Hale left Galveston in 2021 for a position as assistant chief in Prince George’s County, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. He helped plan the department’s $400 million annual budget and helped coordinate resources across its community relations, homeland security, investigations and patrol bureaus.
This story was originally published August 14, 2025 at 11:05 AM.
.jpg)