Dallas police chief signs deal to stay put, avoiding Houston

Although Garcia never mentioned his interest in Houston, officials in the North Texas city began to panic after Finner’s departure, because Garcia is employed in Dallas at will, meaning he can resign at any time. The Dallas City Charter does not require an officer to be under contract. Garcia is very popular in Dallas and is tapped to reduce the city’s violent crime rate.

However, according to an announcement Thursday by interim Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert Garcia will lead the North Texas city’s police department until 2027. Other parts of the deal include a $10 bonus. $000 every six months, a commitment to stay on the job. Dallas until May 2027 and, if fired by the city manager, he would receive a year’s salary. He also agreed to work with the city to choose a new leader and help with the transition process after he leaves. Garcia’s salary is estimated to be around $306,440.

“It was complicated, but we did it,” Tolbert said. “If this were NFL football, we could keep Chief Garcia on staff in Dallas; he is the right quarterback to lead our police department. We certainly didn’t want to lose him to a free agency.”

Mayor John Whitmire said he would use his contacts and expertise to find a new leader, but has said little since about who would seek to replace Finner. Interim Chief Larry Satterwhite replaces him until a new chief is chosen.

Last week, Whitmire’s office did not say whether Garcia was a candidate, but stressed that the mayor was focused on improving morale in the department and public safety throughout the city.

“Mayor Whitmire wants to improve morale at HPD, get the department out of the media headlines and focus on public safety,” Whitmire spokeswoman Mary Benton told Chron last Friday. “He is confident that Interim Chief Larry Satterwhite will be a strong leader at this time.”