Dallas officials named Daniel Comeaux as the next Dallas Police chief. The move comes after Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert started a national search for a candidate in late-January.
She also appointed Justin Ball as the new Dallas Fire-Rescue chief on Thursday.
The police chief role has been vacant since last year when former Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia announced his resignation to become an assistant city manager in Austin. Michael Igo was named the interim chief and has led the department since then.
"I am confident with SAC Comeaux at the helm, we will continue to be one of the safest large cities in the country, while building trust, and bolstering our recruitment and retention efforts," Tolbert said in a Friday press release.
"I want to thank Interim Chief Michael T. Igo for his longstanding service to the Dallas Police Department, and his willingness to lead during this time of transition," she added.
Comeaux is currently serving as Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the DEA’s Houston Field Division. He oversees “12 offices across Texas, including 645 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border."
He started his career with the Houston Police Department in the early-1990s and transition to the DEA, carrying out major operations in Houston, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
The other four candidates vying for the position were Carrollton Police Chief Roberto Arredondo, Jr., Brian Boetig, a retired FBI assistant director and Dallas Police Assistant Chief Catrina M. Shead.
Comeaux will have to help the city navigate two controversial city charter amendments passed last year by Dallas voters. One amendment requires the city to hire hundreds more police officers — and the other could leave the city more vulnerable to litigation.
Dallas HERO, the group who pushed the charter amendments, put the city on notice for what it said is noncompliance with the new policy. The city has until the end of May to show compliance or risk litigation.
Comeaux said the city needed to think outside the box, when asked by local reporters at an early-April meet and greet event about how he would approach dealing with a controversial police hiring mandate passed last year.
"Clearly you're not going to hire 900 on officers doing what [the city has] been doing," Comeaux said. "There's a plan that I want to come up with where I want to look at looking at hiring some contract officers."
Comeaux said those could be retired officers with "some gas left in their tanks" to supplement the police department.
There’s no question that — in public — the Dallas City Council agrees public safety is one of the city’s top priorities. But the council is fractured over its definition of police support.
Some members fall on the more progressive side of the debate and say the way to curb violent crime isn't by adding more officers — but by addressing the root causes of crime.
But others say more eyes on the streets will mean a decrease in crime. The city has enjoyed a three-year violent crime reduction — and residents are still calling for a ramp up in police hiring.
Dallas City Council members praised the decision in texts and emails to KERA News.
"This is a pivotal moment for public safety in Dallas, and I appreciate City Manager Kim Tolbert’s leadership in making this decision," District 5 City Council Member Jaime Resendez said in a text. "I’ll be watching closely to see how the new chief builds relationships, addresses crime, and earns the trust of our communities, especially in District 5, where families from many different backgrounds simply want to feel safe and supported."
District 1 Council Member Chad West said Friday that public safety and infrastructure are some of his constituents top priorities.
"And I believe these two priorities go hand in hand. Safer roads and streets lead to less 911 calls for traffic issues, allowing our men and women in blue to focus on violent crime prevention," West said. "I’m looking forward to working with Chief Daniel Comeaux to tackle not only violent crime but also work towards a safer city for all.”
Tolbert promised elected officials that she would fill both the police and fire department chief positions as her first priority. Justin Ball was tapped to lead Dallas Fire-Rescue yesterday.
With Comeaux’s appointment, Tolbert has made good on her promise. Now city leaders must find a way to comply with the new public safety policy, maintain current patrol operations and rebuild public trust inside City Hall.
Got a tip? Email Nathan Collins at ncollins@kera.org. You can follow Nathan on Twitter @nathannotforyou.
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