Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia is leaving his position for a role as assistant city manager in Austin. According to a memo from Austin city manager T.C. Broadnax, Garcia will start his new role on November 4.

The memo, first posted by KXAN, states that Garcia will oversee the public safety portfolio, which is comprised of Austin Fire, Austin Police, Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services, Downtown Austin Community Court, Forensic Science, and Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

Garcia has been with the Dallas Police Department since February 2021, and is credited with reducing crime as well as restoring an atmosphere of accountability and transparency, following troubled tenures of prior chiefs Renee Hall and David Brown.

The memo from Broadnax, the former Dallas city manager who brought Garcia to Dallas in the first place, cited Garcia's 30-plus years of experience in public safety and his accomplishments with the Dallas Police Department including his bringing in experts to study use of force, working with criminologists to develop a Crime Plan, and supporting the formation of a community Advisory Board.

"His energetic hands-on leadership style, along with 21st Century Policing practices, has taken the criminal elements off the streets in an unbiased way and reduced crime while maintaining the support of his command," the memo said.

Garcia has been so well regarded that, when word circulated in May that he was being courted both by Austin and Houston, he was given an incentive package designed to keep him in Dallas until 2027.

In a statement, Garcia said, "This has not been an easy choice, as my time in service has been deeply meaningful and fulfilling. ... Deciding to step away from this profession has been one of the most challenging decisions of my life. Law enforcement has shaped who I am, providing me with a strong sense of purpose, responsibility, and camaraderie."

Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson and interim Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert released a joint statement, calling Garcia "the right leader at the right time."

"We are immensely grateful to Chief Garcia for his dedicated service and unwavering commitment to the safety of our residents," the statement said. "While we are sorry to see him go, we also know that big city police chiefs never stick around forever. We are fortunate to have had a capable, committed, experienced, and innovative police chief these last three and a half years. We wish him the best of luck on his next journey."