Dallas residents meet police chief contenders before city manager's final selection
North Texans got a rare glimpse into the minds of the five contenders for the job of Dallas' new police chief Tuesday. This special meet-and-greet event comes days before the city manager makes her final selection.
"I just want to ask him what he planned to do a little different on what he planned to bring to the table," said Dallas resident Shaure Robertson.
"I asked her a question: What would she do if she were chief in order to build community and build a relationship between the community," said another Dallas citizen.
The five candidates for the Dallas Police Chief are:
- Carrollton Police Chief Roberto Arredondo Jr
- former FBI assistant director Brian Boetig
- Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Agency's Houston Field Division Daniel Comeaux
- Interim Dallas Police Chief Michael Igo
- Dallas Assistant Chief Catrina Shead.
The top topics addressed by residents were recruitment, retention, and violent crime.
Each of the candidates also addressed Proposition U, a charter amendment Dallas voters approved last November, which requires the city to maintain a police force of at minimum 4,000 officers.
Ultimately, the finalists made a point to answer the key question: "Why are they the best ones for the job."
"As a career public servant, my job is not to get a job. My job is to serve," Boetig said.
"I've touched every type of policing, and I've seen good policing and bad policing throughout. I can bring all that together," Comeaux said.
"I have a deep understanding of this department. I know its strength, its weaknesses," said Igo.
"I love that question," said Shead. "Everything that I learned, the foundation of who I am, came from the things that I got in Dallas."
"I was a Dallas police officer for 23.5 years. There are some challenges, but I look at them as opportunities," said Arredondo.
As for the rest of this process, the five candidates will have meetings with City Manager Kimberly Tolbert Wednesday. Tolbert then plans to make her final decision by next week.
Watch Carrollton Police Chief Roberto Arredondo Jr's full, unedited interview below:
Watch former FBI assistant director Brian Boetig's full, unedited interview below:
Watch Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Agency's Houston Field Division Daniel Comeaux's full unedited interview below:
Watch Interim Dallas Police Chief Michael Igo's full, unedited interview below:
Watch Dallas Assistant Chief Catrina Shead's full, unedited interview below: