Photo courtesy UNT Dallas.
Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia, a city leader who has overseen a dramatic downturn in violent crime over 3 1/2 years, is leaving to become assistant city manager in Austin where he will work for his former boss T.C. Broadnax.
Garcia, 53, is departing a career in law enforcement to become the City of Austin’s top executive over public safety, a position that became open last month.
In a joint public statement, Mayor Eric L. Johnson and Interim Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert said Garcia was “the right leader at the right time.”
“We shared a vision for a safer Dallas that relied on proven strategies and a relentless approach to fighting crime, and we worked together to prioritize public safety at City Hall and turn the tide against violence in Dallas neighborhoods,” the statement reads.
“The results of this partnership have been remarkable. Our city has achieved three consecutive years of violent crime reduction that bucked national trends. We have built greater trust between our communities and our police department. We have improved morale among our hardworking men and women in blue, and we acknowledge that the strength of the Dallas Police Department lies not in one individual, but in the collective efforts of the many courageous men and women who serve our city every day.”
“We are immensely grateful to Chief Garcia for his dedicated service and unwavering commitment to the safety of our residents. While we are sorry to see him go, we also know that big city police chiefs never stick around forever.”
Garcia will start in Austin on Nov. 4, but a date for his last day with DPD wasn’t announced.
