07-05-2025
Fort Worth plans to have a new police chief by September. Here's the process
Fort Worth has started the process to hire its next police chief.
Chief Neil Noakes announced five months ago that he would retire in June after serving in the department for 25 years.
While City Manager Jay Chapa will make the ultimate decision when it comes to hiring the police chief, he told Mayor Mattie Parker on the April 16 episode of her 'Go Time' podcast he wants to make the process as transparent as possible.
Assistant City Manager William Johnson, who oversees the police department, is heading up the search, Chapa said.
The city hired a consulting firm, held meetings with council members, chambers of commerce and community groups, and created an online survey to get feedback from the public, according to a city report.
The city plans to post the job on May 7 and have the application process run for about four to six weeks, city talent acquisition manager Victor Escobedo told the City Council at a May 6 work session.
Johnson's team will then interview the applicants to whittle them down to a group of finalists by early July, according to the city report.
The city then plans to host a public forum with the candidates in July, so residents can meet the finalists and offer feedback, Escobedo said.
Residents will also have an opportunity to meet one-on-one with the candidates after the forum, he said.
Mayor Pro Tem Gyna Bivens suggested the city put on several forums in each council district to give the public more opportunities to engage with the candidates.
'Many people can get to city hall, but many people cannot, so just keep that in mind,' she said.
City staff plans to select the final candidate in August, and in September the new chief will be appointed, according to the city report.
