Leading two of the largest departments in the country taught Fort Worth Police Chief Eddie Garc铆a that the foundation of recruiting and retaining officers is community support.
Like cities across the country, Fort Worth is grappling with officer turnover and increasing overtime costs. In the 2025 fiscal year, taxpayers paid about $25 million for police overtime. About three dozen police staffers earned more than $50,000 each in overtime pay during that time, according to payroll information obtained through a records request.
Three months into his new role, Garc铆a feels certain that Fort Worth is uniquely positioned to attract, hire and retain qualified officers, he said.
He鈥檚 so confident that he set a lofty goal for his first year as chief: a fully staffed force by the end of 2026. That means filling the 103 positions vacant as of early December to reach the department鈥檚 ideal capacity of 1,906 sworn officers.
鈥淚t starts with support,鈥� Garc铆a said. 鈥淭he No. 1 thing that I think these individuals, these young men and women that are entering law enforcement, want to see is support: 鈥榊es, this is a calling that I have, but where can I go that I will feel supported?鈥欌��
Fort Worth stands out among the nation鈥檚 largest cities for its public, unwavering support of local law enforcement, Garc铆a said. That鈥檚 part of what attracted him to Cowtown.
鈥淚f it lured me back, it should lure you first,鈥� Garc铆a said.
He less than a year into a job overseeing public safety in the Austin city manager鈥檚 office. His roughly three-decade police career includes three years as Dallas鈥� police chief and five as San Jose鈥檚.
A Fort Worth police officer on horse patrols the street before the Stockyards cattle drive begins in 2024. (Camilo Diaz | Fort Worth Report) In September, Garc铆a facing increasing overtime costs, due to officers working extra hours to accommodate staffing shortages and scheduling gaps.
Emphasizing that the department 鈥渨asn鈥檛 broken鈥� when he took the job, Garc铆a said he aims to curb those costs while filling vacancies and improving morale to ensure officers want to stay in Fort Worth.
One of the first steps in his plan was to stress the importance of community support, which included getting Mayor Mattie Parker and City Manager Jay Chapa to appear in a promotional video that aired in October.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snJh0yQBTEI
Tackling overtime costs
Staffing shortages drive much of the increase in overtime costs, officials said. Police departments will always face at least some overtime costs, Chapa explained, 鈥渁s it doesn鈥檛 make sense to staff full-time employees solely to meet peak demand needs.鈥�
鈥淲hat we stress is trying to stay within the overall department budget overall,鈥� Chapa said via email. 鈥淭his is done with all departments.鈥�
Altogether, Fort Worth paid about $5 million more for police overtime in 2025 than the previous fiscal year, about a 20% increase. The city鈥檚 2025 budget allocated about $287 million for police salary and benefits, and later increased that amount by about $10 million, according to the .
Of Fort Worth鈥檚 roughly 1,800 sworn officers, two earned more in overtime pay than their base salaries.
A police sergeant whose annual salary is about $128,000 earned an additional $137,000 in overtime, according to payroll records. An officer whose salary is $105,000 earned an extra $125,000. They were the only two officers to clear six figures in overtime, according to the public records. No one did so in the 2024 and 2023 fiscal years.
Garc铆a described those figures as 鈥渁 red flag鈥� to review but said police abuse of overtime pay is minimal. He described overtime as 鈥渁 necessity that has to happen鈥� but one with careful oversight to ensure fiscal responsibility.
His plan to tackle staffing shortages will naturally help address overtime costs as well, he added.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no question: With more officers, there will be less overtime,鈥� Garc铆a said. 鈥淭hat doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檒l eliminate overtime because there鈥檚 always those things that will end up coming up.鈥�
Getting the department fully staffed should naturally bring those costs down, Chapa agreed, but year-to-year needs will vary depending on circumstances. For example, the city manager expects next year鈥檚 to increase overtime needs across the region as local law enforcement responds to the expected influx in tourism.
Fort Worth is not alone in rising overtime costs, said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit dedicated to improving the professionalism of policing.
Police departments nationwide face an aging workforce, a rising number of resignations and low interest from potential candidates. Cities need a certain number of officers to respond to 911 calls and, without that number, public safety is in jeopardy, Wexler stressed.
鈥淵ou simply can鈥檛 have a police department on a Saturday night not have enough officers to respond to crimes in progress,鈥� he said.
That鈥檚 a scenario Garc铆a isn鈥檛 willing to risk.
鈥淚f I have a gang shooting 鈥� I鈥檓 not going to sit on my hands, and our officers aren鈥檛 going to sit on their hands when we need to deploy possibly more officers to a certain area to make sure that we bring the fever down,鈥� he said.
Tracking police response and needs is necessary to allow Garc铆a, Chapa and City Council members to have 鈥渧ery thoughtful conversations鈥� about overtime costs, the chief said.
One-of-a-kind support
Marketing Fort Worth鈥檚 police department means showing off its amenities and spotlighting the community鈥檚 overwhelming approval, Garc铆a said.
That was the goal of the department鈥檚 featuring Garc铆a, Chapa and Parker. Smiling broadly, the mayor and city manager shared encouraging words about how 鈥渨e back the blue鈥� while the chief urged people to apply to work for a department that 鈥渟upports your work and values you.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 not quite sure I鈥檝e seen a major city have a recruiting video where both their mayor and their city manager and their police chief all agree that they support the blue,鈥� Garc铆a told the Report.
To Chapa, it was a no-brainer to get in front of the camera.
鈥淚 have always said that a safe city is a place where people want to live and visit and that will ultimately be successful,鈥� Chapa said. 鈥淚f participating in the video supports improving the quality and quantity of potential candidates for our department, then sign me up.鈥�
Such public support from city leaders can make all the difference in a candidate鈥檚 interest in working for one department over another, Wexler said. For example, cities in Florida typically have an easier time recruiting because of that state鈥檚 reputation for supporting law enforcement, he said.
鈥淭he last five to 10 years have been a very difficult time for policing,鈥� Wexler said. 鈥淎nd one of the things we know is that when a community is supportive of their police officers, that makes a difference.鈥�
He noted Garc铆a鈥檚 reputation among the rank and file in particular, saying the chief鈥檚 鈥渧ery positive, can-do kind of attitude鈥� will impact how people view the department.
In October, after the recruitment video was posted, the department in 2025, with more than half of those submitted after city officials announced Garc铆a鈥檚 candidacy for the job.
The future of Fort Worth depends on a steadfast commitment to public safety, said Parker, who hosted Garc铆a on the December episode of her . As mayor, she said, it鈥檚 important to listen to the chief to inform policy related to recruitment and retention and to ensure the department has the resources it needs.
鈥淲e鈥檙e incredibly privileged to have what I believe is the finest police department in the nation, and it鈥檚 important that our officers know that their city leadership and community stand firmly with them,鈥� she said in a statement.
Balancing recruitment with retention
Beyond getting more officers in the door, Garc铆a wants to retain them.
His staffing plan focuses on four key areas: recruiting new officers; ensuring high morale among the rank and file; aggressively recruiting lateral officers from other departments; and enticing retirement-eligible officers to work for a few more years.
Fort Worth鈥檚 police force is already well-positioned to deliver those goals, he said.
The city鈥檚 Crime Control and Prevention District, a half-cent sales tax used to fund public safety efforts; a state-of-the-art police academy; new and innovative technology; competitive salary and benefit packages; and investment in officers鈥� mental health make Fort Worth stand out from other departments, he said.
Sometimes, the little things make just as much difference, particularly among younger generations, Garc铆a said. For example, today鈥檚 officers can grow facial hair and wear visible earrings and tattoos unlike previous generations of police.
鈥淚t鈥檚 certainly not throwing out the baby with the bath water but to think of little things that inspire them and motivate them,鈥� Garc铆a said.
A police vehicle parked at the Stockyards in 2024. (Camilo Diaz | Fort Worth Report) Meanwhile, shifting perspectives on law enforcement nationwide may better position cities to recruit officers, particularly as federal immigration officers attract attention on the news, Wexler said. President Donald Trump鈥檚 administration is focused on detaining and deporting undocumented immigrants.
鈥淭he national mood is different today,鈥� Wexler said. 鈥淭he police are no longer the focus of concern as much as federal agencies now.鈥�
In Fort Worth鈥檚 recruitment video, Garc铆a urged prospective candidates to follow their calling to serve their community and make a positive impact on the city.
鈥淚f you are a police officer or you want to become one, and you want to go to a city that supports you, that supports your work and values you, come join us at the Fort Worth Police Department,鈥� he said.
Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org.
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