by Elected officials, rank-and-file cops, and community leaders are debating what is most important for the next police chief: the ability to foster trust.
With only three candidates left on Fort Worth’s list for police chief, concerns vary between stakeholders, but bridging the divide between the public and police is a major priority for everyone.
According to Nestor Martinez, president of the Fort Worth chapter of the National Latino Law Enforcement Organization, “the last thing we want is for people to be afraid of the police, especially here in Fort Worth.”
The remaining finalists for Fort Worth were revealed on July 15 and include former Dallas Deputy Chief Vernon Hale III, former Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia, and interim Police Chief Robert Alldredge. Each has served as a local or national law enforcement agency leader.
Given that assistant chiefs are frequently regarded as front-runners when a chief resigns, Alldredge was anticipated by many to be a strong candidate. After three years in Dallas, where he gained a reputation for his charisma, officer support, and efforts to increase the department’s transparency, Garcia is well-known throughout North Texas.
Despite their lack of familiarity with Hale, elected officials were hopeful about the Oak Cliff native who knows the Black and Latino communities in North Texas.
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Police officers want chief to be inclusive, fair
Stakeholders throughout the city have frequently stated that improving the police department’s relationship with people of color during several tense periods in the last 10 years is a top priority.
The Fort Worth Black Law Enforcement Officers Association president, Cedric Gutter, stated that he has one main request for the person who takes over as chief: equitable opportunities for officers of color and the community.
According to him, black police haven’t always felt they’ve had equal opportunity in the department.
According to Gutter, the Black community simply wants to be respected and treated fairly.
That worry was shared by Roy Hudson, a 26-year veteran of the Fort Worth police department and former president of the Black Police Association, who stated that the city needs a chief who understands the community’s need for openness and confidence.
He claimed to have grown up under Chief Thomas Windham, the greatest chief we have ever had, and expressed his hope that the department’s next leader will be just as creative in fostering community involvement and advancing equity.
He had a broad perspective. According to Hudson, Windham, who served as chief from 1985 until his passing in 2000, provided us with possibilities that we wouldn’t otherwise have. He transformed our city’s policing culture. He introduced our department to community policing.
Public perceptions of law enforcement shared concern
As President Donald Trump puts pressure on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport and curtail illegal immigration, police officers across must deal with the reluctance of law enforcement in certain Latino areas.
Martinez, a 24-year veteran cop, stated, “We need something to calm the panic and the issues that folks have.” You see all those Facebook posts saying that police are out here enforcing immigration laws and that ICE is over here. That’s simply not the case most of the time. Only police are carrying out our long-standing procedures.
According to Martinez, the department’s approach to immigration enforcement and its response to state and federal orders must be communicated and publicized as a top priority for the new chief.
According to Martinez, police have collaborated with federal organizations including the FBI, ICE, and the Drug Enforcement Agency for many years. He went on to say that officers don’t make random arrests.
According to Hudson, incidents of police violence also raise questions about the public’s confidence in law enforcement.
The treatment of Jacqueline Craig, a Black woman who called 911 in 2016 to report that her 7-year-old son had been abused, by the Fort Worth police department made global news in 2016. Craig and her 15-year-old daughter were thrown to the ground and put in handcuffs with a taser aimed at them after making the call she believed would result in local law officers helping.
A police officer sent to investigate an open front door at the residence fatally shot Atiana Jefferson, a Black woman, in her home in 2019, reigniting outrage about police relations with communities of color.
According to Hudson, such tragedies, along with national ones like George Floyd’s death in 2020, “pour water over the ant hill, destroying all progress in community relations and forcing the city to start over.”
According to him, a chief must establish confidence with the community by communicating with them in an honest, open, and continuous manner.
According to Hudson, in order to implement effective community policing, we need a chief who is actively involved in the community, listening to those who have problems, don’t trust the police, don’t attend church, skip school, or have a history of problems.
An innovative leader
According to several local officials, Fort Worth needs a creative leader who can bring new ideas to the community.
The credentials of prior contender Emada Tingirides, deputy chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, piqued the curiosity of Ann Zadeh, executive director of Community Design Fort Worth and a former member of the City Council. The most well-known contribution Tingirides made was to the establishment of LA’s Community Safety Partnership, a nationally acclaimed model for relationship-based police in marginalized communities.
Shortly after being named a finalist, Tingirides withdrew from consideration for chief due to a promotion in her hometown.
Zadeh wants to see Fort Worth’s 2018 race and culture task force’s recommendations put into practice. Following Craig’s arrest, a 25-member task group was established in 2018 to restore confidence between communities of color and police enforcement.
The 85-page report sought to lessen racial and cultural inequities and sparked a number of new projects, such as the establishment of the city-led Office of Police Oversight Monitor in 2020.
Black community groups have stressed that they would like a new chief to address the reality that many recommendations, including one to establish a citizen oversight board, were closed down or are in limbo.
Looking for the best person for the job
As he gets to know the contenders, council member Carlos Flores stated that he is searching for someone who can successfully engage with the community and the council and build public trust through community policing.
I want someone who can make the department feel united and confident, right? He stated that there is only one mission, which is to serve the public.
Chris Nettles, a council member, stated that he is remaining receptive to Hale and Alldredge. Given that Garcia applied just a few days after the application deadline ended, he believes Garcia ought to be rejected.
In his experience, deadlines in executive search processes, such as the one for police chief, are arbitrary, therefore council member Michael Crain stated that he does not view the late submission as a problem.
Finding the best candidate for the position is the ultimate objective, according to Crain. Indeed, you mention that applications close at a specific time, but in the corporate world, this is a common occurrence. It’s only a step in the process.
Nettles stated that he is uncertain if Garcia would be able to fulfill his desire for a chief who is dedicated to being in Fort Worth. Shortly after pledging to remain in Dallas until at least May 2027, Garcia left the city.
One of the cities with the quickest rate of growth is Fort Worth. Nettles stated, “I have serious concerns and serious doubts that he would commit to Fort Worth. We can’t have people who just up and leave in the middle of situations.”
Have questions?
At a forum on August 14 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, residents will get their first opportunity to meet the candidates. Prior to the forum, members of the community might post ideas for questions online.
Three finalists bring decades of police leadership, local knowledge
Three candidates were selected by City Manager Jay Chapa to be the new police chief. The Fort Worth Report solicited feedback from a range of stakeholders regarding the finalists and the requirements of the community. A peek at the candidates is provided below.
Alldredge, Robert
56 years old
Present role: temporary chief of Fort Worth
Background:Fort Worth cop since 1999, previously served in the U.S. Air Force during Operation Desert Storm.
What they’re saying:
Alldredge rose through the Fort Worth Police Department s ranks over the past 26 years, earning wide respect from council members and gaining institutional knowledge of the city. He most recently held the position of assistant chief.
Members of the council have commended his reputation in the community and his achievements in law enforcement, including the way the police handled the Fort Worth No Kings demonstration, which drew over 2,000 people to Burk Burnett Park to express disapproval of the Trump administration’s alleged authoritarian excesses. The protest stayed peaceful, and the police response was commended as unobtrusive and respectful.
Eddie Garcia
54 years old
Current position:Austin assistant city manager, overseeing public safety
Background:Three years as Dallas police chief, 29 years as a cop in San Jose, California
What they’re saying:
Garcia s leadership has garnered praise for his charisma and his hands-on leadership style during his time in Dallas. His Dallas leadership is predominantly marked by his initiatives to make the department more transparent with ause-of-force dashboard, which he previously created in San Jose.
Vernon Hale
55 years old
Most recent position:Assistant police chief of Prince George s County Police Department in Maryland
Context:
Hale, an Oak Cliff native, joined the Dallas Police Department in 1991 and stayed in the city over 26 years, rising to the rank of deputy chief. His experience includes commanding the Narcotics Division and leading the South Central and Southwest Patrol Divisions.
In 2018, he joined the Galveston Police Department as police chief, then in 2021 became assistant police chief of Prince George s County Police Department. The law enforcement agency is a comparable size to Fort Worth s, carrying an authorized strength of 1,736 officers and 329 staff.
Fort Worth s department has 1,896 sworn officers and 574 professional staff members.
Drew Shaw is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him [email protected]@shawlings601.
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