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FULL INTERVIEW: Chief Eddie Garcia on leaving Dallas
Dallas police chief Eddie Garcia shocked city leaders and members of his department by announcing his retirement from policing. Garcia is starting a new job as an assistant city manager over public safety in Austin next month. He sat down with FOX 4's Steven Dial to talk about his time in Dallas and his biggest regrets.
DALLAS - An assistant chief within the Dallas Police Department will step up to temporarily replace outgoing Police Chief Eddie Garcia.
City officials announced on Friday that Dallas Police Executive Assistant Chief Michael Igo will take over as interim chief of police in two weeks.
Igo is well respected within the police department as someone who spent 33 years in Dallas, rising up the ranks.
The interim chief will work closely with Garcia before he leaves next month to take a new job as an assistant city manager in Austin. Garcia will oversee public safety in Austin under his old boss in Dallas, T.C. Broadnax.
While violent crime in Dallas has dropped four years in a row, the department still faces many challenges.
Perhaps the biggest is bailing out the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System that still needs a big infusion of cash from the city due to previous leaders making decisions that lost billions of dollars.
Dallas Police Association President Jaime Castro says that is why he is thankful Igo is set to take the reins of the department.
"He is homegrown, someone who has rose through the ranks and is dedicated his career to DPD. He understands the department," Castro said. "That is what we need right now: someone we don't have to get caught up with the program."
The pension problem that unfolded in 2016 added to the challenges of recruiting and retaining officers. Even so, morale is good.
Castro believes Igo will be able to continue that.
"He understands every rank," he said. "He's been there, done it, worked every rank and dedicated his career to DPD. He gets it."
Chief Garcia, who joined the department three years ago, was the first Dallas police chief to speak Spanish.
Castro says there are other ways the department can continue that connection.
Dallas police chief Eddie Garcia talks retirement, success and regrets
Dallas police chief Eddie Garcia sat down with FOX 4's Steven Dial to discuss his retirement from the police department.
"It's a void we will have to fill. We did see the tremendous success Chief Garcia brought with the ability to speak and communicate to the Latino community," Castro said. "What is important is they understand the department and community and its needs. We can always have someone appointed to the command staff who can speak and communicate with the community."
Chief Garcia has said whether or not the permanent chief is hired from within should be based on how the department is doing.
"If people don't like the direction we are going, by all means find someone from the outside," Garcia said in a Thursday interview with FOX 4. "But I don't think that is where we are at. I think most like the direction we are going, or I would not have gotten so many ‘I'm mad at you’ emails."
Michael Igo's appointment to interim chief will become effective on Friday, October 18, which is also Chief Garcia's last day.
When asked if there will be a search for a permanent chief, Public Safety Chair Cara Mendelsohn said she is pleased with Igo's selection and expects whoever is hired as the next city manager will select the next police chief.