AUSTIN, Texas — The city of Austin plans to announce a national search for its next police chief next week as it aims to find its next law enforcement leader.
Interim Police Chief Robin Henderson said she will evaluate the posting and decide her next steps.
The planned search comes on the first week on the job for City Manager T.C. Broadnax, who has said that he wanted to hire a police chief during his first 100 days in his new role. In a new release this week, Broadnax reaffirmed the hiring as a top priority.
The city will rely upon Mosaic Public Partners, which it will pay about $60,000, to look for candidates nationally. The position is expected to be posted in the coming days. The city is working with the recruiter this week to develop a profile of the type of police chief it wants next.
Henderson, who has risen through the ranks of the Austin Police Department, has served as interim chief since September when Chief Joe Chacon stepped down after about two-and-a-half years on the job.
KVUE's sister station, WFAA, reported Wednesday that Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia was being courted by Houston and Austin, citing anonymous sources. Dallas officials told the station in a statement that it is their desire for Garcia to remain in that city.
City of Austin spokesperson Michele Gonzalez said Austin currently has no applicants for the job because it has not been posted.
The new chief will be tasked with filling out hundreds of vacant positions. In a February social media post, Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock said that police staffing is at "2006 levels" and that officers were pulling double duty to provide patrol coverage.
In October 2021, former police chief Chacon announced that the police department would no longer respond to non-emergency calls such as vehicle thefts and minor collisions. Austinites are instead directed to call 311 or fill out a form on the city's website. Chacon said that he made the change at the direction of the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force.