City staff and leadership have conducted a national search, and the six finalists were chosen from among more than 50 candidates, according to a Dec. 28 city of Fort Worth news release.
“Choosing the individual who will lead our police department is one of the most important hiring decisions we have to make,” Fort Worth City Manager David Cooke said in the release.
Fort Worth residents will have an opportunity to meet the finalists at a community meeting Jan. 14 at 6:30 p.m. at the Fort Worth Convention Center. In addition to in-person attendance, the community meeting will be broadcast on FWTV as well as on the city's website and its pages on social media platforms.
Finalists for the position include:
- Wendy Baimbridge, assistant chief of the Houston Police Department, who has been with HPD since 1992;
- Troy Gay, assistant chief of the Austin Police Department, who has served with APD since 1991 and has been assistant chief since 2013;
- Christopher C. Jones, a graduate of the FBI National Academy who has served as assistant sheriff for the Las Vegas Sheriff's Department since February 2020;
- Derick D. Miller, chief of police of the Carrolton Police Department, who has been with CPD since 1992 and has been its chief since 2017;
- Neil Nokes, deputy chief of the Fort Worth Police Department, who has served in that role since 2019; and
- Julie A. Swearingin, assistant chief of the Fort Worth Police Department and a graduate of the FBI National Academy.
Fort Worth residents can submit comments and questions for city management via email at [email protected] through Jan. 9.
More information on the finalists for the Fort Worth chief of police position is available here.
