The City of Dallas is narrowing down the contenders for its top law enforcement spot, with City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert announcing five finalists for the Police Chief position. These finalists were handpicked from a large pool of 25 candidates and covered various realms of law enforcement experience, both local and federal. According to the City of Dallas, the candidates in the running are Roberto Arredondo, Jr., the Chief of Police from the Carrollton Police Department, retired FBI Assistant Director Brian Boetig, DEA Special Agent in Charge of Houston's division Daniel C. Comeaux, Dallas' very own Interim Chief of Police Michael T. Igo, and Assistant Chief Catrina M. Shead from the Dallas Police Department.
The selection process for the new police chief is intensive, with the candidates meeting City Council members on March 31 from 4:00-5:00 p.m. at City Hall. Following this, there will be a session for the candidates to meet and greet members of the feedback panels also at City Hall. These panels, scheduled for April 1 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., are composed of community representatives, law enforcement experts, and city officials, whose contributions are significant in a process deeply entrenched in community engagement. The candidates, exhibiting a rich variety of experiences, participate in interviews that will hopefully reveal insights into their policing philosophies and how they plan to innovate within the department.
Tolbert expressed confidence in these leadership vets, "This search has produced an impressive pool of candidates with proven law enforcement leadership experience from a variety of agencies across the country," she said, per the City of Dallas. The search is not only for a leader but a visionary who will continue to uphold Dallas's reputation as one of the safer large cities in the U.S., boasting the ability to attract and retain quality officers and bring forth innovative ideas to the department's operations. Tolbert's final decision on the new Chief of Police is expected by mid-April, and an added public Meet & Greet has been scheduled for April 1, from 6-7:30 p.m. in the City Hall lobby to involve citizens more in the decision-making process.
