The three finalists vying to become Fort Worth鈥檚 next police chief each said they want to build community trust while bolstering the police department and reducing crime.
However, they differed in their approach to police accountability with their first public comments during a forum Thursday night.
The finalists include Robert Alldredge, interim Fort Worth police chief; Eddie Garc铆a, former Dallas police chief currently overseeing public safety as an assistant city manager in Austin; and Vernon Hale, a former deputy Dallas police chief who most recently served as assistant police chief in Maryland鈥檚 Prince George鈥檚 County.
Alldredge, Garc铆a and Hale gathered at City Hall to informally meet with residents before answering questions during a moderated panel. The topics centered on trust, transparency and oversight within the department, staff retention and how to tackle homelessness across Fort Worth.
The evening was the public鈥檚 first 鈥� and only 鈥� chance to meet the candidates face-to-face before a hire is finalized. The department鈥檚 previous leader, Chief Neil Noakes at the helm.
Before the panel began, residents told the Fort Worth Report they want a chief who could strengthen law enforcement鈥檚 , particularly in the underserved and predominantly Black neighborhoods of Fort Worth. Also top of mind for residents in attendance were officers鈥� mental health, candidates鈥� commitment to staying in Fort Worth and a focus on curbing youth gun violence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13GQthSqCmY Alldredge, Garc铆a and Hale were July 15. City officials said they were pared down from a pool of 51 applicants from 15 states. A fourth finalist, Emada Tingirides of the Los Angeles Police Department, withdrew her candidacy after receiving a promotion in her hometown.
The role of police chief is hired by the city manager, who in turn is hired by City Council members. City Manager Jay Chapa has said he intends to name a hire by early September.
Finalists for Fort Worth police chief differ on police oversight
When asked their positions on police oversight and how they had worked with external advisory or monitor groups in the past, candidates shared differing levels of experience.
Garc铆a said he鈥檚 worked with oversight as long as he鈥檚 been in law enforcement, and he sees it as a necessity. In Dallas, for example, he worked with the city鈥檚 Office of Community Police Oversight and volunteer Community Police Oversight Board.
鈥淲e are a profession that can legally take people鈥檚 rights away 鈥� we need someone to be watching us to ensure we鈥檙e doing it right,鈥� Garc铆a said. 鈥淚 have no issue with that. And we have nothing to hide. When we鈥檙e wrong, we鈥檙e wrong. When we鈥檙e right, I鈥檒l defend our men and women.鈥�
Hale echoed Garc铆a鈥檚 sentiment, saying oversight isn鈥檛 optional. He said he wants to assess what oversight Fort Worth currently has, learn its expectations and desires, and work to close any gaps.
鈥淲e have to ensure we have transparency. We have to create dashboards where you don鈥檛 have to do open records requests, you don鈥檛 have to call the chief and say, 鈥榃hat happened with this?鈥欌�� Hale said.
Vernon Hale, former Dallas deputy chief, answers questions during a public forum with the finalists for Fort Worth police chief Aug. 14, 2025, at City Hall. (Mary Abby Goss | Fort Worth Report) Alldredge noted the 鈥渋nfancy鈥� of the Fort Worth Police Department鈥檚 oversight monitor, led by director Bonycle Sokunbi.
The city-staffed Office of Police Oversight Monitor was launched in 2020 at the recommendation of a race and culture task force appointed in 2018 to identify disparities across the city. Community activists have long petitioned for a citizen-led oversight board, which council members .
鈥淚 trust (Sokunbi). I trust what she does,鈥� Alldredge said. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 mean we always agree, but the recommendations she has made, we have implemented some of those, and it鈥檚 been very positive.鈥�
Finalists emphasize community trust, transparency
The candidates promised that, if hired, they鈥檇 work to strengthen existing police department-citizen relationships and build trust in communities that haven鈥檛 historically engaged with local law enforcement.
They each committed to hosting listening sessions across Fort Worth and to meeting residents in their own neighborhoods.
Fort Worth residents mingle with the three finalists for Fort Worth police chief before a panel Q&A Aug. 14, 2025, at City Hall. (Mary Abby Goss | Fort Worth Report) Garc铆a said he wants to get in front of issues residents have with the department before they grow.
鈥淎s a police chief, I want to know if something鈥檚 wrong with this police department before anyone else does, so I can fix it 鈥� and so we can fix it 鈥� making sure that we鈥檙e transparent with what we鈥檙e trying to accomplish in our neighborhoods,鈥� Garc铆a said.
Hale said he鈥檚 proven himself in his previous roles as someone who has sought out and found success in engaging with those who, historically, didn鈥檛 have good relationships with police.
He recalled one listening session where a man who had spent over half his life incarcerated approached him and told him he鈥檇 only ever hated cops until that session. He considers that moment of trust one of his proudest achievements as a police officer.
鈥溾�業n fact, I thought one day I might have to kill one,鈥欌�� Hale recalled the man telling him. 鈥溾�楤ut now, I found myself shaking your hand and hugging you all.鈥欌��
Alldredge said transparency and accountability are what distrustful communities want the most. He said he envisions 鈥渞obust鈥� engagement that includes cooking meals for residents and continuing to show up specifically in areas where police are working to build relationships.
鈥淲e need to be able to sit at the table and talk to each other, instead of sitting away from each other and talking about each other,鈥� Alldredge said. 鈥淏ecause the only way we鈥檙e going to solve things is sitting at the table together.鈥�
Candidates emphasize their commitment to Fort Worth
All three candidates said they are committed to hold the position long term if selected.
Since Fort Worth announced Garc铆a as a finalist, some have expressed skepticism at how long he would stay. He left Dallas in 2024 after three years as chief, a couple months after . Then, he was named a finalist for the Fort Worth position less than nine months after starting as an assistant city manager in Austin.
Eddie Garc铆a, former Dallas police chief, answers questions during a public forum with the finalists for Fort Worth police chief Aug. 14, 2025, at City Hall. (Mary Abby Goss | Fort Worth Report) Garc铆a said he wants the job because 鈥渁t the end of the day, I was born to be a police officer.鈥�
He said he was committed to serving Fort Worth, as his daughter lives in the city, and his mother lives in North Texas.
Hale, 55, said he would plan to keep the position until retirement at 60 or 62 鈥� 鈥淪ocial Security at least.鈥� He said if his relationship with the community and elected officials was still 鈥渕utually beneficial鈥� at that point, he could stay longer, he said.
鈥淚 won鈥檛 be applying for any other jobs to be clear,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檒l be part of this community. I鈥檒l be living in this community. My priorities will be what your priorities are.鈥�
Alldredge pointed to his 26 years with Fort Worth as proof he鈥檚 committed to the job. He said he loves the city, loves its leaders and 鈥渆verything about it.鈥�
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 looking for this chief job whenever it came up. I wasn鈥檛 looking for another chief job. That鈥檚 not what I鈥檓 about,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y career is here in Fort Worth. That鈥檚 what my commitment has been.鈥�
Candidates lay out strengths, lean on experiences
Each candidate cited past leadership roles throughout the night, including times they dealt with tense police-community relations, media scrutiny and big-city issues.
Alldredge, who has served as interim chief since mid-May, emphasized his demonstrated service to the city. He joined the Fort Worth Police Department in 1999 and served in various roles and capacities.
He said, as interim chief, he has already begun the work of a 30-60-90-day plan with a clear vision, meeting with community leaders, parole officers, police department staff and enforcement units.
鈥淢y true belief is, no matter the ZIP code that you live in, you should be treated exactly the same,鈥� Alldredge said. 鈥淵ou should get the same level of service, and the call should be answered exactly the same way.鈥�
Robert Alldredge, interim Fort Worth police chief, answers questions during a public forum with the finalists for the job Aug. 14, 2025, at City Hall. (Mary Abby Goss | Fort Worth Report) Garc铆a stressed how the top leadership role will not be new to him, as he鈥檚 already been chief in two major cities 鈥� San Jose and Dallas. Working in Austin鈥檚 city manager鈥檚 office, he said, he gained valuable administrative knowledge.
鈥淏ringing those experiences, and those pressures, and those sleepless nights when the buck falls with you alone, and working with a team to have been successful in two other large cities ... is helpful,鈥� he said.
Entering a department and quickly learning what it needs is not new to him, Garc铆a said.
Hale said stepping into the Fort Worth police chief role would naturally build on his experience as police chief in the smaller city of Galveston and as assistant chief in the county of Prince George鈥檚. During those roles, he said, he learned the importance of a chief who listens and learns with those who live across the areas he serves.
鈥淭he police are the community, and community are the police,鈥� Hale said. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 not all on me. I鈥檓 50%, and you鈥檙e 50%. And then we鈥檒l do this together.鈥�
The city invited residents to fill out an online survey after the forum. The candidates will spend Friday, Aug. 15, in interviews with city management.
Cecilia Lenzen and Drew Shaw are government accountability reporters for the Fort Worth Report. Contact them at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org and drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org.
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