by As he cracks down on crime, Eddie Garc aspires to be a police chief who fortifies public trust and creates connections between communities of color and law enforcement.
According to Garc A., he has already done it as the police chief of Dallas and is now excited to do so in Fort Worth.
In his first public statements since being selected as the city’s next police chief, 54-year-old Garc a pledged to lead with empathy, honesty, and responsibility.
During a press conference on Friday morning, Garc an assured the public that his police force would treat him with respect and decency. Every day, we will strive to gain and keep your trust.
Garc, who speaks Spanish well and was born in Puerto Rico, will be the 28th police chief of Fort Worth. He begins work on September 22.
According to Garc, his racial identification helps him in his work as police chief, especially in a place like Fort Worth where there is a sizable Latino population. According to census estimates from 2025, of Fort Worth’s one million citizens, 63% are persons of color, with 35% being Hispanic.
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Garc stated he had to learn to write and speak English after his childhood move from Puerto Rico to California. He was raised by a single mother in a multigenerational home and faced many of the challenges faced by immigrants.
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“I grew up like a lot of our immigrant communities, aside from the fact that Puerto Rico is a part of the United States,” Garc a stated. That has shaped me into the chief I am because, in my role as chief, I want people with diverse life perspectives seated at the table.
This relatability will serve as a roadmap for Garc’s approach to establishing connections throughout the city. He expressed his excitement about doing community gatherings in English in one area of Fort Worth before holding the same gathering in Spanish across town.
“Regardless of immigration status, we go after the criminal act,” Garc A. responded when asked how he saw the role of the Fort Worth Police Department in implementing federal immigration orders. “What happens to undocumented immigrants who are lawfully arrested for a crime is not within the jurisdiction of my soon-to-be department,” he said.
The Tarrant County Jail, where Fort Worth police book arrestees, checks the immigration status of the inmates and flags unauthorized individuals for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Following his pledge to implement the greatest mass deportation in American history, President Donald Trump’s administration has doubled daily arrests and deportations since taking office in January. Although nearby Keller recently chose to enter into such an agreement, city officials informed the Fort Worth Report earlier this month that they had no imminent intentions to formally engage with ICE.
Garca claimed that his personal discussions with ICE representatives demonstrated the organization’s emphasis on holding violent felons who lack documentation. He stated that his counsel to immigrant populations is straightforward because state law requires municipal police to cooperate in reacting to violent crime.
“Don’t make it your top priority and continue living your lives,” he said. If you don’t commit a crime, you won’t be given priority.
According to Garc, he intends to be present by going to community meetings, seeing people at their homes, visiting local retail malls, and interacting with Fort Worth locals wherever they are. He claimed that in this manner, he would be able to understand the various dynamics, requirements, and desires of different societies.
Simply put, it isn’t nuclear physics. “Just get out there and roll up your sleeves,” he said.
Communities of color have long called for a citizen-led police monitoring board, which council members rejected in 2022, but he said he is open to the idea. Before expressing his own opinion, he said he would like to consult with Bonycle Sokunbi, director of the city-staffed Office of the Police Oversight Monitor, to receive her input.
He did, however, stress that he has experience with such a board during his time as a police officer and believes that accountability and monitoring are crucial.
Garc a stated during the press conference that his accountability-driven and compassion-driven approach should not be interpreted as weakness. He pledged to strengthen the police force and hunt down criminals with a vengeance.
“All criminals will have every reason to fear this police department, and we will defend our community,” he declared.
After working there for roughly nine months, Garc is now Austin’s assistant city manager in charge of public safety. Prior to that, he spent roughly three and a half years as the chief of police in Dallas. He started his law enforcement career in California with the San Jose Police Department, where he served in a variety of capacities, including chief.
According to City Manager Jay Chapa, he chose to hire Garc because he wanted to capitalize on Eddie’s track record of successfully running two significant American cities.
According to Chapa, he has a history of developing dependable officers, raising staff morale, and establishing relationships with members of various communities. Eddie embodies all of the qualities we are looking for in the future leader.
Garc A replaces temporary Chief Robert Alldredge, who has been in charge of the agency since Chief Neil Noakes retired in May, as the city’s senior law enforcement officer. Alldredge, former Dallas Police Deputy Chief Vernon Hale, and Los Angeles Police Department Emada Tingirides were all considered for the position; however, Tingirides withdrew her application after being promoted in her hometown.
Drew Shaw, a reporter for government accountability, contributed to the story.
Cecilia Lenzen works for the Fort Worth Report as a government accountability reporter. Reach her at fortworthreport.org/cecilia.lenzen.
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