Finalists for Dallas’ next police chief spent the day in feedback panels and a public meet-and-greet at City Hall. NBC 5’s Candace Sweat reports as City Manager Kimberly Tolbert prepares to make her decision next week.
Meet-and-greets continued Tuesday in the search for Dallas’s next police chief. Former Chief Eddie Garcia left the role vacant late last year when he took a job as assistant city manager in Austin.
Garcia was credited with reducing violent crime in Dallas, and some city leaders have said they expect the new chief to continue building on that momentum. On Tuesday, though, the public had a say.
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WATCH HEREIt was a whirlwind day for the five Dallas Police Chief finalists, which started in the morning with feedback panels, law enforcement experts, and city officials.
The day ended in the evening inside the lobby of City Hall. The event was a chance for the public to meet the four men and one woman who are up for the job. City Manager Kimberly Bizor-Tolbert, who will ultimately decide who gets the job, addressed the crowd Tuesday night.
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SIGN UP "Just being here, I want you to know that this is what a collaborative process looks like," Tolbert said.
Very little time was spent on formalities, allowing community members more time to mingle with candidates. Everyone in attendance had distinct ideas about what department leadership should look like.
“Somebody who is collaborative. Somebody who is willing to invest in conversations,” said Bryan Tony with the Dallas Housing Coalition.
“Somebody who can come in and change some things that nobody else could change who has been there before,” said Dallas business owner Gay Billops.
The list includes finalists with experience in local and federal law enforcement, but who all started their careers with a police department at the city level.
They are interim Dallas Chief of Police Michael Igo, Dallas Police Department Assistant Chief Catrina Shead, Carrollton Chief of Police Roberto Arredondo, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Daniel Comeaux of Houston, and former FBI Assistant Director Brian Boetig.
The next chief will take on the position following an approved measure requiring the Dallas Police Department to hire hundreds of new officers.
On Monday, Dallas HERO, the group that helped get Prop U on the ballot last November, sent a two-page letter saying the city has 60 days to comply with its charter or face a potential legal challenge.
Even with that, each candidate said they’re ready to take the role. NBC 5 had brief conversations with all five:
- Daniel Comeaux - “I’ve policed in so many different areas. Large cities being Houston and Los Angeles. I’ve policed in very diverse cities.”
- Michael Igo – “I’ve either touched, worked or commanded almost all the units on this department. I have a deep understanding of this department.”
- Roberto Arredondo – “To be able to come into a city that has the support of the mayor, has the support of the council, has the support of the citizens and public safety is in place. Everything else I see as an opportunity.”
- Catrina Shead – “The growth of this department and the future of this department depends on what we do in the leadership realm. We’re talking from the sergeant up. That’s very important for us as a department.”
- Brian Boetig – “All I can do is make the bona fide best efforts that we can to hire as we need to, but without hiring the wrong people. The worst thing a leader can do is make a bad hire.”
On Monday, Councilman Chad West said former Chief Eddie Garcia's leadership was largely responsible for reducing violent crime in the city, but that more needs to be done.
“My residents are asking, now that we’ve seen the violent crime go down, to start seeing these other crimes go down as well. So that’s going to be the next iteration that’s expected by this new police chief,” West said.
Mayor Pro Tem Tennell Atkins said community, people-centered policing must also be a priority.
“When I grew up, you knew your police. He lived in the same neighborhood as y’all. He called you by your first name, you called him by the first name,” said Atkins. “That’s what you want in a police officer.”
NBC 5 also caught up with the director of the Office of Community Police Oversight, Michele Andre, who recently reached a milestone by completing her first 100 days on the job. She said she’d like to see a police chief who will collaborate with the board.
“We work so closely, and our mission is so aligned with improving the trust in the community, so I think it’s really important to have someone who is coming from a background with understanding how to work with oversight,” said Andre.
City Manager Tolbert acknowledged Tuesday was a long day for the finalists. On Wednesday, they will meet with Tolbert and others in executive leadership roles. Tolbert said she expects to announce her decision sometime next week.
