Dallas police chief finalists meet with residents

DALLAS - The men and woman finalists vying to be Dallas' chief of police met with the people they hope to serve on Tuesday night.

A meet-and-greet was held at City Hall where residents had a chance to talk to the five finalists.

City manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert says she hopes to name the next Dallas Chief of Police by next week.

Finalists

Michael Igo

There are five finalists for Dallas’ chief of police. One internal option is current interim chief, Michael Igo.

"The 33.5 years that I’ve spent on this department have prepared me for this role," said Igo. "I’ve got a deep understanding of this department. I know its strengths. Its weaknesses. I know the commanders."

Catrina Shead

Another internal prospect is Assistant Chief Catrina Shead.

"The person that I am is because of this city. Every aspect of this city made me so I understand that so I owe this city a debt of gratitude and it is time for me to be a part of the process to ensure is positive and going forward," said Shead

Roberto Arrendo Jr.

You might say Roberto Arredondo Jr. is an outside/inside candidate. 

The current chief of police in Carrollton previously spent 23 years with the Dallas Police Department. 

"To me, everything is in place that needs to be in place for success in the future," said Arredondo Jr. "I understand how it functions. I understand what the goals are and what the mission is here."

Brian Boetig

Brian Boetig is a retired Assistant Director of the FBI and brings a different perspective.

"My job was always to come in as an independent person and ask the questions why are we doing things this was and if the answer was because we’ve always done it that way I knew there were a couple layers that I needed to pull back to figure out are we doing it the most effective and efficient way," said Boetig.

Daniel Comeaux

Daniel Comeaux also brings a different perspective as the current special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration division in Houston.

"Someone that comes in owing no favors to anyone. Just want to do a great job. Take care of the officers and take care of the citizens," said Comeaux.

Dallas HERO threatens lawsuit over hiring

Dig deeper:

Whoever gets the job will face an issue past chiefs haven’t had to deal with. In November, voters passed a measure changing the city charter to require Dallas police to increase its total rank and file to 4,000.

READ MORE: Dallas HERO Amendments: Props S, U passed

Currently, the department has about 900 officers short of that number.

On Monday, Dallas HERO, the group behind the proposition, sent the city a letter demanding a "good-faith effort to comply" or else it will file suit against the department.

In February, city council set a hiring target of 300 officers. At the time, Igo told city leaders higher goals would require them to pull officers off the streets for training.

It’s one of many issues the next chief will face. 

Dallas Police DepartmentDallas