There are now six finalists for the Fort Worth chief of police job, the City of Fort Worth said in an emailed statement Wednesday.
Chief Ed Kraus took over as interim chief for the fired Chief Joel Fitzgerald in May 2019 and was sworn in as chief last December. Kraus announced his resignation in July, following a summer of civil rights protests across the country. He said he would stay on as interim chief of police until his replacement was hired.
Kraus had worked for the department for 28 years, starting as an officer in 1992. He went on to be a detective, sergeant, lieutenant, captain and a commander before he began to serve in executive roles like executive assistant chief to the Patrol Bureau, working his way up to chief of police.
Half of the finalists have experience in North Texas: Two current Fort Worth Police Department chiefs and the chief of police in Carrollton. Two others are from Texas -- one from Houston and the other from Austin.
The finalists were chosen from a pool of more than 50 applicants in a national search done by the city and recruitment firm Strategic Government Resources, according to the news release.
The finalists are:
Wendy Baimbridge
Baimbridge has been assistant chief of the Houston Police Department since 2017 and has been with the Houston Police Department since 1992. She has a Master of Arts degree in sociology from the University of Houston-Clear Lake and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Houston.
Troy Gay
Gay has been assistant chief at the Austin Police Department since 2013 and has been with the Austin Police Department since 1991. He has a bachelor's degree from Texas State University, performed graduate work in criminal justice at the University of Virginia and also graduated from the FBI National Academy.
Christopher C. Jones
Jones has been assistant sheriff with the Las Vegas Municipal Police Department since February of this year. He has a bachelor of arts degree in criminal justice from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and graduated from the FBI National Academy.
Derick D. Miller
Miller is the current chief of police for the Carrollton Police Department, a position he has held since Nov. 2017. He has been with that department since 1992. He has a Master of Arts degree in criminology and criminal justice from the University of Texas at Arlington and a graduate certificate in criminal justice education from the University of Virginia.
Neil Noakes
Noakes has been a deputy chief of the Fort Worth Police Department since March 2019. He has a Master of Science degree in criminal justice and criminology from Texas Christian University and a bachelor's degree in criminal justice administration from Tarleton State University.
Julie A. Swearingin
Swearingin is an assistant chief of the Fort Worth Police Department. She has a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice administration from Tarleton State University and graduated from the FBI National Academy.
Fort Worth joins Dallas in finalizing the process for a new chief of police. Dallas is also searching for a new chief of police after Chief Reneé Hall announced her resignation in September. A memo shared Tuesday by City Manager T.C. Broadnax said the city is set to have a new police chief by the end of the month.
Arlington just hired Col. Al Jones, a 25-year veteran from the Baltimore County Police Department as its new chief of police in November.
