The City of Dallas says Police Chief Eddie Garcia has signed a deal to stay in the city for at least three more years. Garcia had been contacted by Austin and Houston about potentially taking the same job in one of those cities.
Interim City Manager Kim Tolbert says Garcia has agreed to stay in Dallas at least through May of 2027. In exchange, his salary will remain $306,000, but he will receive a bonus of $10,000 twice a year starting in November.
During that stretch, if any city manager terminates Garcia, he would be paid a year's salary. He would not receive the money if he resigns, is fired for work performance or is convicted of a crime.
Garcia has also agreed to help the city find a new chief and help the transition "when that time comes."
“This was complicated, but we got it done,” Tolbert wrote in an email. “If this was NFL Football, we were able to keep Chief Garcia on the Dallas Team; he’s the right quarterback to lead our police department. We certainly didn’t want to lose him to free agency.”
"To live and work in Dallas is to love Dallas. This is the right place to complete my service, and I know your police officers are honored to serve Dallas residents. We will keep doing our jobs with excellence and results," Garcia added in a statement.
Last month, Garcia updated the Dallas City Council on the police department's violent crime reduction plan. Through the first three months of 2024, he said violent crime had dropped almost 20% from the same period of 2023.
Murders in Dallas dropped 26% the first three months of this year, and aggravated assaults dropped 25%.
"Dallas is fortunate to have such a capable and committed police chief at the helm of our police department. Chief Garcia’s dedication to Dallas has been invaluable in driving significant improvement in our city’s public safety. His leadership and data-driven strategies have led to record decreases in violent crime and have fostered trust throughout the Dallas community," Mayor Eric Johnson wrote in a statement.