In his first few months as police chief, Eddie García sought to communicate to Fort Worth residents that he’s not just their top cop.
He’s part of the community now, and he’s someone Fort Worth residents can trust — in good times and bad, he said.
Since taking his oath to protect the city in September, García has hosted dozens of community town halls across the city to introduce himself to residents, familiarize himself with Fort Worth neighborhoods, listen to community law enforcement needs, and most importantly, build public trust.
“That’s the cornerstone of who I am, is to always be visible in my community,” García told the Fort Worth Report after mingling with about a dozen residents at a town hall at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden this month.
His tour of the city helps deliver on a promise García made to the public after being named the new police chief, and one he’s repeated consistently at public meetings and in private conversations: “We will work to earn and maintain your trust every single day.”
Fort Worth resident Naomi Dillard attended a town hall with García in October at the Worth Heights Community Center in south Fort Worth. She said she found the chief “very personable,” and she appreciated the effort he’s put into connecting with the public.
“He’s not like on a big high horse,” Dillard said. “He’s down here with us.”
García left his job in the Austin city manager’s office overseeing public safety after less than a year to take the position as Fort Worth police chief. Before Austin, he led the Dallas Police Department for about three and a half years.
Since moving back to North Texas, García has met community advocates, neighborhood association members, and citizens on patrol at the meetings, usually hosted by City Council members in their districts. Those attended by the Fort Worth Report followed a casual agenda that included informal mingling with the chief and other police personnel, remarks from García on his vision for the police department and Q&A’s with residents.
Rosemary Galdiano, a member of the police department’s Citizens on Patrol program, felt encouraged after meeting García at the Worth Heights meeting. A lifelong Fort Worth resident, she said she hasn’t seen a police chief “reach out to the community in this way” since Chief Ralph Mendoza’s tenure in the 2000s.
“It’s really important, and I think it’s great that he’s making that effort within the first 30 days of his taking on the role. That kind of sets the tone,” Galdiano said in October.
Early and consistent effort to meet the community was essential as he took control of the police department, García said, because “leadership is being present.”
Having worked with a community oversight board throughout his police career — which included leading the Dallas and San Jose police departments — he wants residents to know not just who he is and what he looks like but also that they can approach him with concerns about public safety, law enforcement and police accountability.
“The first time our community sees us can’t be in a moment of crisis,” García told attendees at the meeting at the botanic garden.
While serving residents, public engagement is also a win-win for police personnel, García said. By getting out in the community, officers are constantly reminded “why it is you’re sacrificing what you’re sacrificing” for a life in uniform, he said.
He promised to maintain his commitment to meeting and serving residents across all Fort Worth neighborhoods as the city grows and as he continues to settle into his new home. It’s a commitment he made in gratitude.
“When the community asks for more presence, that’s a gift,” García said. “It’s a gift that doesn’t happen everywhere, and so we have to treat that as a gift to ensure that we don’t ever lose that.”
Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org.
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