New Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia Now Certified Texas Peace Officer After Passing State Exam
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Dallas' next police chief Eddie Garcia arrived in town Wednesday, Jan. 27 and took his Texas Commission on Law Enforcement exam and passed it, sources tell CBS 11.
He also passed his firearms training course.
He is now a certified Texas peace officer and will be sworn in when he begins his job Feb. 3 wearing a Dallas Police uniform.
Next Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia Getting Family Geared Up For Move
Garcia led the San Jose, California Police Department for the last four years.
He retired shortly before accepting the job in Dallas.
"We are going to reduce crime in our city, do it collaboratively," Garcia said in late December.
In California, Garcia saw some 4,000 assaults, rapes and robberies and only 38 homicides for all of 2020.
Dallas will welcome him with six times the number of murders and manslaughters -- 245 -- and double the number of other violent crimes.
Garcia said he sees his position as Dallas' first Hispanic police chief as an opportunity to build trust with the communities the department serves.
While Garcia provided no specific crime-fighting initiatives that he plans to bring to Dallas, he repeatedly stated his primary job and mission would be decreasing Dallas' violent crime.
"The most important thing we can do is reduce violence in our neighborhoods, strengthen and communities in trust," he said. "If you have the same question, I have the same answer. The number one priority is to reduce violence in the city of Dallas."
Dallas' previous police chief Renee Hall took more than four months to take and pass her TCOLE exam and was not in a Dallas Police uniform when she was sworn in.
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