Officers worried about police chief's future in Dallas after Houston chief retires
DALLAS — Turn around and go back home.
That's the message Wednesday night from the interim Dallas city manager to the city of Houston which CBS News Texas has learned has been courting police chief Eddie Garcia to possibly be its next top cop.
Only a week after assuming the city manager role in Dallas, Kim Tolbert has come out with a not-so-veiled warning to cities that might be trying to steal away Police Chief Eddie Garcia, telling them to back off.
Sources say that Houston reached out to ask if Garcia is interested in the new opening there.
Garcia's spokesperson had no comment for CBS News Texas.
"Chief Garcia is the best police chief in America, in my opinion," said Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson. "He also enjoys the closest working relationship between a police chief and a mayor of any major city in America as well as the strongest community support for his department of any such city — support which cuts across racial and geographic lines. A smart police chief doesn't walk away from these things lightly and Chief Garcia is most definitely a smart police chief."
Wednesday night, the Dallas Police Association, which represents about 2,500 of the department's 3,000+ officers, issued a statement urging the city to do whatever it takes to keep Garcia from leaving:
"Every professional Dallas police officer can attest that Eddie Garcia is the best police chief in the country due to his high level of competence and integrity and his commitment to protecting every family in every part of our community. With his stellar record of success in turning around a police department that desperately needed strong, forward-thinking leadership, Chief Garcia will most certainly be a target of countless cities across Texas looking to improve public safety with a new Chief, especially Houston. We expect every City Councilmember who promised to protect their constituents from violent crime will take all steps necessary, without the excuse of bureaucratic slowdowns, to ensure we keep Eddie Garcia as our police chief and maintain the positive momentum we currently have in reducing crime in Dallas. The committed men and women of the Dallas Police Association wholeheartedly support maintaining Chief Eddie Garcia as the leader of the Dallas Police Department."
Sources within the department say Garcia may be asked to run the Houston Police Department which can offer him a contract with higher pay and better job security.
That's because of the recent departure of Dallas City Manager TC Broadnax who hired him 3.5 years ago.
Garcia has been credited for a 13 percent reduction in violent crime last year in Dallas, during a time when many other big cities are seeing increases.
"He's done a fantastic job, getting us back to where we need to," said Omar Narvaez, a Dallas city council member. "We still have a ways to go, but he's the right leader and has shown us the way to get here."
It has raised the chief's profile and made him in demand among cities that can offer him a long-term contract which the City of Dallas charter currently prohibits for his position.
"When I talked to him about it, I said jokingly, you know there's no Dallas Cowboys down in Austin, because everyone knows that's his favorite football team," Narvaez said.
The speculation has been enough for Interim Dallas City Manager Kim Tolbert to release a statement this evening that says:
"I believe Chief Gracia wants to remain here. To the cities shopping in Dallas for a new chief, I have one message for you: 'Turn around and go back home.' In the meantime, I will keep the City Council and the public informed about the progress on these issues."
Dallas City Councilman Adam Bazaldua also believes a deal can be reached to keep Garcia in Dallas.
"I am confident in City Manager Tolbert's leadership to address all personnel matters and feel equally confident that Chief Garcia is as committed to our city as he was on day one of his employment here," said Bazaldua.
Garcia has yet to publicly address his future and sources say Houston has yet to make a formal offer.
But it may be able to faster than Dallas can respond.
"Dallas is a diverse city and there's a lot of different perspectives when it comes to policing," said Jesuorobo Enobakhare, the former chair of the police oversight board in Dallas. "No police chief is perfect. I think he's done an admirable job. As far as police chiefs go, he's probably the best we've had in the City of Dallas."
Enobakhare hopes Chief Garcia decides to stay in Dallas.
Sources said any deal to keep Garcia in Dallas may include a promise of advancement to an assistant city manager role at some point and that Garcia has had several meetings with city leaders in recent days who obviously don't want to see him go.