Dallas interim city manager to cities attempting to poach police chief: 'Turn around and go back home'

Houston may be trying to poach Dallas police chief

The city of Houston is on the hunt for a new police chief and sources say they're interested in Dallas' top cop. FOX 4's Paige Ellenberger explains what led Houston's previous chief to suddenly step down.

DALLAS - Law enforcement sources tell FOX 4 News that the City of Houston is eyeing Dallas police chief Eddie Garcia for their recently vacated chief position.

Sources say Houston has reached out to Garcia about the open position.

Houston police chief Troy Finner abruptly announced he would be retiring on Tuesday night.

Troy Finner

His retirement comes amid headlines surrounding the investigation into the suspension of 264,000 incident reports due to a "lack of personnel" code, the chief stated he was unaware of. However, a recent email was shared with FOX 26 from 2018 which included Finner when he was Executive Assistant Chief and the email included the "suspended - lack of personnel" code.

The development has prompted varied responses from city council members, reflecting on Finner's leadership and the challenges faced by the department.

Other large cities have also reached out to Garcia in recent months, including Austin, law enforcement sources tell FOX 4.

Dallas Interim City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert released a statement on Wednesday evening:

"It’s no surprise that other Texas cities are expressing interest in Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia. He has been the key leader who has delivered a lower crime rate to Dallas, and he has helped increase police morale while boosting residents’ confidence in the direction of the department.

Obviously, City Council members and I want to keep him in Dallas doing a good job. It will take flexibility, creativity with a hefty dose of accountability to accomplish that, but we are working tirelessly to develop solutions. I believe Chief Garcia wants to remain here.

To the cities shopping in Dallas for a new chief, I have one message for you: ‘Turn around and go back home.’ In the meantime, I will keep the City Council and the public informed about the progress on these issues."

Garcia came to the City of Dallas in 2021 from the San Jose Police Department making him the first Latino police chief in the Dallas Police Department's 140-year history.

Garcia is also the president of the Major Cities Chiefs Association.

Under Garcia, Dallas has implemented a new Violent Crime Reduction Strategic Plan, which has received praise from city leaders.

When compared to 2022, violent street crime in Dallas dropped by more than 13% last year, but murders were up nearly 15%.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Dallas PD reports drop in violent crime

Violent crime dropped for the third year in a row in Dallas, but the number of murders in 2023 was up by nearly 15%.

The Dallas Police Department gave no comment when asked about Houston's potential interest in Garcia.

FOX 26 Houston contributed to this report.