New Fort Worth Police Chief Eddie Garcia pledges transparency, crime reduction
Incoming Fort Worth Police Chief Eddie Garcia pledges to earn the trust of the community and relentlessly pursue the criminal element.
“We will hold the line,” Garcia said at a Friday morning news conference. “We will defend our community, and all criminals will have every reason to fear this police department.”
Garcia, who was selected for the position from more than 50 applicants, served as police chief in Dallas from 2021 through 2024. He was the department’s first Latino chief, and violent crime fell by 19% during his tenure.
He left the DFW area to take the position of assistant city manager in Austin. Fort Worth City Manager Jay Chapa announced Garcia’s hiring Thursday.
Garcia told the Star-Telegram that his commitment to transparency includes holding officers who do wrong accountable and praising those who do well.
“The more that we’re transparent on both of those, you know, the officers feel that someone has their back, that they’re shown when they’re doing really good things,” Garcia said. “And then the community knows also and gives the department credibility when we stand up and say officers did ... wrong.”
Another of Garcia’s priorities is “ferocious” recruitment and boosting overall staffing. He said he aims to attract officers who are just starting out in law enforcement, as well as those who are police officers in other departments. He also sees the need to retain individuals currently working with the Fort Worth Police Department and encourage those eligible for retirement to postpone it a little longer.
“There are no better recruiters than ... when we’re fully staffed, 1,900 or so sworn police officers,” Garcia told the Star-Telegram. “If they’re happy working here, there are no better recruiters than those men and women.”
Garcia comes to the Fort Worth Police Department with more than 30 years of experience in law enforcement. Mayor Mattie Parker called Garcia “a tested and proven leader” with a track record of transparency and building community trust.
The bedrock of Fort Worth’s growth and prosperity is public safety, Parker said. She thanked former Chief Neil Noakes and Interim Chief Robert Alldredge for their service and said Garcia will bring a fresh perspective and a continuation of what makes the Fort Worth Police Department great.
Garcia will be the department’s 28th chief. Noakes announced his retirement in December, and the search for the department’s next leader began in February. The candidates were eventually narrowed down to Garcia, Alldredge and Vernon Hale, a former Dallas deputy police chief and police chief in Galveston.
Chapa said at the news conference that making a final decision was difficult. He opted for Garcia, due to his proven leadership as chief in Dallas and San Jose — cities that have issues similar to Fort Worth.
Garcia is set to step into his new role Sept. 22. He said he intends to work together with city leaders to make sure Fort Worth is not just safe but thriving.
“It is a calling to serve one of the greatest and the most supportive cities in our country,” Garcia said. “And it is a responsibility I will carry with every ounce of energy that I have.”
This story was originally published August 22, 2025 at 3:01 PM.
