Fort Worth City Manager Jesus “Jay” Chapa announced in a news release that the city has four finalists for the vacant police chief position.
What's happening?
Mosaic Public Partners conducted the national search and received a total of 51 applicants, of which 92% were male and 8% were female, from 15 states, according to a news release. Nine were interviewed in the semifinalist round, with four selected to move forward as finalists to replace Neil Noakes, who retired May 31.
The finalists include:
- Robert A. Alldredge Jr.
- Eddie Garcia
- Vernon Hale III
- Emada Tingirides
The police chief oversees a department with 1,896 sworn officers and 574 professional staff members, according to a news release.
“I’m very pleased with the diversity, depth and caliber of candidates who expressed interest in this important role,” Chapa said. “The strength of the finalist pool reflects the high regard for the Fort Worth Police Department, and our next chief must uphold and build upon that standard of excellence as we move forward.”
Robert A. Alldredge Jr.
Alldredge currently serves as the interim police chief in Fort Worth, a role he took over June 1, according to previous reporting.
He has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience, including 26 years with the Fort Worth Police Department, according to a news release. Prior to his appointment as interim chief, he was executive assistant chief and oversaw a combined budget exceeding $450M, a complete staffing plan for 2026, patrol beat realignment, improvements in recruit training timelines and the expansion of the Community Partnership Command.
According to a news release, he expanded the Crisis Intervention Team to better serve people experiencing a crisis by partnering with the Fort Worth Fire Department and mental health professionals to launch the Homeless Outreach Program Enforcement Strike Team.
Eddie Garcia
Garcia currently serves as assistant city manager in Austin and was the police chief of the Dallas Police Department, commanding the ninth-largest police department in the country, according to the news release.
With the city of Austin, Garcia oversees the fire department, police department, Austin/Travis County EMS, chief medical officer, forensic science department, Homeland Security and Emergency Management and labor relations, according to the city website. Garcia was the DPD police chief from Feb. 2021 to Oct. 2024.
Garcia spent 28 years working for the San Jose Police Department in California, the last five as police chief.
Vernon Hale III
Hale currently serves as assistant chief of police for the Prince George's County Police Department in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Hale has held that role since Nov. 21, 2021, and oversees a $420 million budget with 1,736 sworn officers and 329 professional staff.
Hale has overseen critical components of the department, including the Office of Community First, bureaus of Patrol, Homeland Security, investigations, forensics and evidence, administration, media relations and financial management, according to a news release.
Before working in Maryland, Hale had more than 30 years of experience in law enforcement in Texas.
He worked for the Dallas Police Department from 1991 to 2017, serving in roles such as deputy chief of the Southwest, Southeast and South Central Patrol Division and narcotics division. He was also the commander of the Dallas Underwater Recovery Team for 10 years, according to a news release.
Emada Tingirides
Tingirides is a 30-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department and is currently the deputy chief. She currently serves as the commanding officer of LAPD’s Operations Central Bureau, where she leads public safety efforts across a major metropolitan region that includes downtown Los Angeles, according to a news release.
In her current role, Tingirides guides the department’s response to First Amendment demonstrations, deployment planning and the coordination of large-scale events such as professional sports, concerts and civic celebrations.
Throughout her LAPD tenure, Tingirides has held a variety of posts, starting in West Los Angeles and Central Division before taking on the role of Senior Lead Officer in Southwest Division, where she focused on neighborhood engagement and problem-solving.
What else?
The city announced that a community forum will be held Aug. 14 at 5:30 p.m. at the new city hall at 100 Fort Worth Trail. The event will be streamed online, and community members can submit questions until Aug. 8 for the forum.
