Fort Worth Defends Late Police Chief Application Amid Transparency Concerns

Fort Worth officials are defending the integrity of their police chief hiring process following concerns raised by local pastor and activist Kyev Tatum, who questioned the transparency of the search and the fairness of allowing a candidate to apply after the deadline had passed. 

Tatum told NBC 5 that multiple community members contacted him after speaking out, some of whom alleged that Eddie Garcia, the former Dallas Police Chief, submitted his application late and improperly advanced it with the help of former Fort Worth Chief Neil Noakes.

“You can’t operate a system where you have two sets of rules,” Tatum said. “Everyone should be held to the same standard.”

In response, city spokesperson Sana Syed confirmed that Garcia did submit his application after the June 4 deadline. However, she denied any special treatment, stating that Noakes had no role in Garcia’s consideration. Instead, Syed explained, Garcia spoke with Mosaic Public Partners, the search firm managing the recruitment, during the week of June 9. Since the application screening process was still underway, City Manager Jay Chapa approved accepting the late application.

“This is not unusual for executive searches,” Syed said. “Cities often leave the door open to strong candidates. Before the posting was public, the city asked Mosaic to notify us of any qualified applicants who expressed interest after the deadline.”

Syed emphasized that Garcia’s resume was reviewed at the same time as other applicants. From that group, nine candidates—including Garcia—were selected for virtual interviews on June 25. Four finalists were announced on June 28.

“Chief Garcia did not receive special privileges,” Syed added. “He submitted his application in a reasonable window that still allowed this process to be fair to all candidates.”

Despite the city’s explanation, Tatum remains critical of the process and is calling for greater public involvement and transparency in the final selection. Community members are expected to continue raising concerns as Fort Worth narrows down its choice for the city’s next top law enforcement official.

The police chief search follows the retirement of former Chief Neil Noakes earlier this year, with the city aiming to appoint a new leader by late summer.

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