Come meet the police chief candidates this Thursday

As the City of Fort Worth moves forward in its search for the next police chief, residents are encouraged to attend a forum to meet and hear from the final candidates at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 14, at City Hall (100 Fort Worth Trail) and streamed live online

The forum will include: 5:30-6:30 p.m.: Informal meet-and-greet with candidates in lobby 6:30-8 p.m.: Moderated panel forum in Council Chamber utilizing questions pre-submitted by the community (question submission closed Aug. 8) Live streamed on Facebook, YouTube and FWTV Live Spanish simultaneous interpretation available Exit survey to receive attendee feedback on candidates Where to park: There is parking available in front of the building off Fort Worth Trail as well as in the back at Forest Park Boulevard. From the back parking lot, the walkway from the parking lot leads directly into the building.The process so far The search for the next person to lead the Fort Worth Police Department and its 1,896 sworn officers and 574 professional staff members kicked off in April with a community survey and feedback-gathering from stakeholders about the desired qualities of a chief candidate. From there, Mosaic Public Partners developed a candidate profile and conducted a thorough national search for potential candidates. Mosaic’s search drew in 51 applicants from municipal, state and federal law enforcement agencies from 15 states, including Texas. The first round of interviews with City leadership took place June 25. Of the 51 applicants, nine were interviewed in the semifinalist round, with four selected to move forward as finalists. On July 22, one of the finalists withdrew. Three finalist candidates are now under consideration for the position: Chief Robert A. Alldredge Jr. Chief Eddie Garcia Chief Vernon Hale Read candidate biographies to learn more about their professional backgrounds. Next steps In accordance with the City’s hiring rules, the city manager is responsible for making the final determination of who will serve as the next police chief. After the public forum and final interviews are completed on Aug. 14 and 15, the city manager will identify a top candidate to present an offer to, initiating a background check and onboarding plan. The Mayor and Council will then be presented with a resolution to appoint the candidate to the position.