DALLAS, Texas — Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia sat down to speak with WFAA for the first time since deciding to remain in Dallas last week -- both Houston and Austin reportedly wanted him to come south and head up their respective police departments.
Garcia told WFAA that he never wanted to leave the city but needed more assurance that he wouldn't be removed once a new regime of city managers took over.
Former City Manager TC Broadnax brought Garcia here. After resigning earlier this year, he is now in the same role in Austin. More departures from his old office in Dallas were announced on Monday.
The city's charter prevents the police chief from holding a contract, meaning the city manager may hire/fire a police chief at any time. The same goes for other heads of departments, which has been challenging for city officials when it comes to retention.
City leaders added a binding agreement to Garcia's offer letter, sidestepping a contract but laying out a plan to keep him until at least 2027 with a bi-annual retention bonus of $10,000.
Police association leaders stood together and urged city leaders to get something done to keep Garcia, likely a first for the city.
Usually, union leaders are griping about the police chief, and that wasn't lost on Garcia.
"My heart is here. This is where I wanted to be, and I wanted to stay. We came up with a framework where we commit to each other for these next three years, and it's incredible," Garcia said. "I didn't make any statements, but the amount of support that I've seen for this department is a precious gift. It is a gift that you cannot walk away from. I've gotten messages from union leaders and associations across the country, but they haven't seen that in many places, let alone in Dallas."
Garcia knew the writing was on the wall. The day he spoke to WFAA, Dallas' Deputy City Manager Jon Fortune announced he was leaving his role to work with Broadnax in Austin. Broadnax's former chief of staff in Dallas, Genesis Gavino, also announced she would be going to work for her old boss.
Before that, Assistant City Manager Robert Perez announced he would be leaving to be the city manager of Topeka. Assistant City Manager Majed Al-Ghafry is also slated to lead DeSoto as the new city manager pending a council vote this week.
Broadnax was the teetering domino leading to a big city hall shakeup. So, with a new regime coming in, Garcia needed to know what the future held.
"I'm happy that we accomplished something that came down to commitment. They're committed to me, and they're committed to this department. I'm ecstatic to be here," Garcia said.
Dallas fighting for Garcia is the logical move. Since coming here in 2021, he's reduced crime, with violent crime dropping to a six-year low. While support was a big draw to staying in town, it doesn't hurt that Garcia is a huge Cowboys fan, and his daughter attends college in North Texas.
Garcia's only downside is that the administration that hand-picked him is leaving. He'll have to create new relationships with a new crop of leaders.
"It's been an emotional rollercoaster, but it feels like day one all over again," Garcia said.
Until a new boss is chosen, Garcia said he'll lead like always.
"I only know how to lead one way -- I'm a blue-collar chief," Garcia said. "One day, on a podcast, I got the best compliment from one of our members that I was an old street cop masquerading as a four-star chief. It's not lost on me that the support I get in the City of Dallas is second-to-none."