Fort Worth Police Chief Eddie Garcia marks 100 days with focus on department growth
FW Police Chief Eddie Garcia marks 100 days on the job
Fort Worth Police Chief Eddie Garcia touched on his experience in Austin, technology advancements, and looking forward to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
FORT WORTH, Texas - Fort Worth Police Chief Eddie Garcia touched on his experience in Austin, technology advancements, and looking forward to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
100 days as Fort Worth police chief
What we know:
Fort Worth Police Chief Eddie Garcia surpassed 100 days in his new position over Christmas.
During that time, he implemented a constitutional policing unit to strengthen police accountability and embraced technological advancements with the use of drones.
Eddie Garcia
The most immediate issue he says he sees in the department is growth.
"We hope to be at full staffing by the end of next year, but I always talk about full staffing in quotes because everyone recognizes that we have to continue to grow as a department, so I would say staffing," said Garcia.
Garcia served as the Dallas Police Chief before seeming to be finished with law enforcement and taking a job as the Assistant City Manager in Austin.
Now that he’s back in uniform, he says he’s bringing a new perspective after spending time in city hall.
"Solidified the fact that we're part of a greater team and that one department's success helps the other," said Garcia.
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Navigating ICE partnership and public trust
Local perspective:
Earlier this year, the new Dallas Police Chief announced the department had turned down a potential partnership with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), worth millions, and said the department only assists with security or transport.
FOX 4 asked Chief Garcia about whether Fort Worth would enter a partnership with ICE.
He stressed the importance of communicating with federal authorities and pointed to a state law that requires cooperation from sheriff’s offices.
"I think what we have to keep in mind when we give our message is we have to be very honest with our community. You know, we want to ensure that our community is not fearful," said Garcia.
"At the end of the day, we're blind to immigration status. If you're involved in criminal activity, and you're on that immigration radar, there's not much we're going to be able to do about that."
Planning for 2026 FIFA World Cup
Dig deeper:
The FIFA World Cup is fast approaching, and Chief Garcia says he is taking a community-first approach to preparing for the event. Officers and staff have already been told they cannot take time off to ensure there are enough resources to help at home and in neighboring cities.
"We're going to do everything in our power to ensure it's a safe event for all. We also have cities we have to protect in the middle of the summer, which is usually a busier time," said Garcia.
As he looks towards the days ahead, he hopes to become a more data-driven and intelligence-led type of department.
"We're trying to do everything we can to build the trust that's already been built in Fort Worth."
Future Goals and Regional Growth
What's next:
Chief Garcia says some goals for 2026 is to work with Fort Worth city leaders to see what more can be done during the upcoming legislative session, a topic he's very outspoken about.
There are plans to grow the department's real-time crime center into a regional resource for partnering cities.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by FOX 4's Amelia Jones.