Police Chief Eddie Garcia’s departure to Austin will leave pivotal leadership void in Dallas [Video]

DALLAS – Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia was on the job one day after the announcement that he is retiring to become assistant city manager in Austin with his old Dallas boss, T.C. Broadnax.

The hope is the chief will help usher transformation to the Austin Police Department and have the same type of impact as he has had on the Dallas community.

Garcia will leave a void at the Dallas Police Department, the city and especially the Hispanic community, as Garcia made history as the city’s first Hispanic and Spanish-speaking police chief.

“We adored him. I had the privilege of having lunch with Eddie every month for three and a half years,” said Dallas LULAC President Rene Martinez. “We would exchange ideas, talk, just enjoy ourselves. And everywhere we went, people would come up to him and say, ‘You’re doing a great job!’ So he is a very unique person.”

Austin City Councilwoman McKenzie Kelly was in a meeting …