Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia is considering an offer, officials say

DALLAS – City leaders have made a proposal to Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia to keep him in Dallas and he is now considering it, the heads of associations representing rank-and-file officers said Friday.

Garcia could respond to the offer as early as Monday morning, said George Aranda, head of the National Latino Law Enforcement Organization in Dallas, adding that interim city manager Kim Tolbert “has done everything in her power to put everything out there.”

While officials did not provide details about a possible offer to Garcia, Aranda said he was told recent discussions have been positive. Still, he warned, “It’s not done until it’s done.”

Sources told WFAA senior crime and justice reporter Rebecca Lopez on Wednesday that Houston and Austin are among the cities courting Garcia. Aranda said Los Angeles has also expressed interest in the chief.

“He is the best chief in America today and the whole country knows it,” said Jaime Castro, president of the Dallas Police Association. “We cannot afford to lose Chief Garcia.”

Aranda, Castro and Lt. Paul Thai of the Asian Peace Officers Association held a news conference Friday to urge city leaders and residents to show their support for Garcia. Arnada said it was the first time in his memory that the civil service associations had come together to support retaining a police chief rather than express their displeasure about it.

“Everyone is pretty happy right now, which speaks volumes about his leadership,” Aranda said.

Thai said Garcia’s departure would be “devastating.”

Garcia, who was hired as Dallas’ chief in 2021, is currently employed by the city manager on a freelance basis, meaning he can leave the position at any time.

To keep him, Dallas may have to offer him a contract, according to sources. However, Dallas’ city charter currently does not allow police chiefs to be under contract.

“If necessary, we will change it,” Aranda said.

As of last month, Garcia’s base salary was $306,440 per year, city records show.

He said city leaders are also exploring alternative offers to retain Garcia, such as an employment contract or performance-based bonuses for improvements in crime rates, retaining officers and hiring new employees.

“From what Ms. Tolbert told me, she did her best,” Aranda said.

Tolbert has a lot at stake in the deal, as he is widely expected to be in the running for the permanent city manager job.

“If she retains Chief Garcia, that would be a huge success for her,” Aranda said.

In response to WFAA’s reporting, Tolbert issued a statement Wednesday night urging other cities interested in Garcia to “turn around and go home.”

Houston’s interest in Garcia becoming its police chief comes as city officials accepted the resignation of Police Chief Troy Finner on Wednesday.

Finner’s departure creates a void for a department that employs about 5,300 officers and more than 1,000 civilian employees. In comparison, the Dallas Police Department has around 3,200 officers and around 600 civilian employees.

Houston city officials have not yet named a possible replacement for Finner, and Garcia is not commenting on a possible connection between him and the Houston opening.

Austin’s interest in Garcia stems from the fact that his leadership role has also been open since his former boss, Joseph Chacon, retired in August, and because former Dallas city manager TC Broadnax, who hired Garcia, has been since then This week he is Austin’s city manager.

A spokesperson for the city of Austin told WFAA, “The search for police chief has not yet been initiated, so there are no candidates at this time.”

Data released by the Dallas Police Department suggests crime in the city is at its lowest level in six years and there have been 26 percent fewer murders compared to the same period last year.

Although Garcia has worked to increase staffing levels, DPD is still about 800 officers short. The department also struggled to improve response times. To help with this, Garcia has made it mandatory to report some non-urgent complaints online.