Austin: Police Chief Applicants

After a year without a permanent police chief, Austin, Texas, has 32 applicants for the role—including controversial candidates with checkered pasts. The American-Statesman obtained the applicants' list through a public records request.

City Manager T.C. Broadnax, who started last month, has stated that hiring a new police chief is a top priority. The previous chief, Joseph Chacon, retired in September, and the interim chief, Robin Henderson, announced she would not seek the permanent position.

URL: https://austincouncilforum.org/viewtopic.php?t=1992

The Candidates:

• Darryl Albert: Former Montgomery, AL, police chief who resigned in April 2024 after being placed on leave. Accused of discrimination by a female officer who refused an affair.
• Lindsey Alli: Sergeant with 16 years of experience in Columbus, OH.
• Nicholas Augustine: Assistant chief, Investigative Services, Montgomery County, MD, Police Department.
• Paco Balderrama: Fresno, CA, police chief on leave due to an alleged affair with another officer's wife.
  URL: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/fresno-police-chief-placed-on-leave-over-alleged-affair-with-officer-s-wife/ar-BB1obktr?ocid=BingNewsSerp
• DeShawn Beaufort: Inspector, Philadelphia, PA, Police Department since 1996. Finalist for three other chief positions.
• Blake Bennett: Officer, Buda, TX, Police Department.
• Joseph Costa: Chief, Desoto, TX, Police Department, south of Dallas.
• Lisa Davis: Assistant chief, Cincinnati, OH, Police Department; 2022 finalist for Cincinnati chief.
• Prurince Dice: Captain, Deland, FL, Police Department.
• Adrian Z. Diaz: Former Seattle police chief who resigned amid misconduct allegations. Recently came out as gay, denying the allegations.
  URL: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/law-justice/former-seattle-police-chief-adrian-diaz-speaks-out-against-allegations/#:~:text=Diaz%20said%20the%20decision%20to,County%20sheriff%2C%20as%20interim%20chief.
• Gabriel Dobkin: Sergeant, Austin, TX, Police Department since 2015.
• Jason Dusterhoft: Former Austin, TX, commander fired in 2018 for alleged strangulation. Sued the city, case dismissed; appealed, dismissal upheld.
• Anson Evans: Former Fort Valley, GA, police chief who resigned in March 2023 after issues with homicide investigations.
  URL: https://wgxa.tv/news/local/district-attorney-requests-georgia-bureau-to-oversee-fort-valley-homicide-investigations
• Teresa J. Ewins: Former Lincoln, NE, police chief who resigned in 2023. Previously with San Francisco, CA, PD for 20 years.
  URL: https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/News/2023/7/21a
• Alan Fear: Commander, Sterling, CO, Police Department.
• Steve Friend: Former FBI special agent who refused to work on Jan. 6 Capitol riot cases.
  URL: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/gop-witnesses-undermined-jan-6-cases-conspiracy-theories-fbi-says-rcna85095
• Nicholas Fiore: Inspector, New York, NY, PD with over 19 years of experience.
• Joel Fitzgerald: Chief, Denver, CO, Regional Transportation District PD. Former chief in Waterloo, IA, and Fort Worth, TX, where he was fired after an incident with an Austin, TX, sergeant.
  URL: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2019/05/20/fort-worth-police-chief-joel-fitzgerald-has-been-fired-after-incident-in-washington-d-c/
• Mark Grube: Assistant chief, Clark County, IN, Sheriff's Office.
• Kevin Hall: Assistant chief, Tucson, AZ, PD; 2022 Seattle, WA, police chief finalist. Rejected by Oakland, CA, mayor for chief position in 2023.
• Andy Harvey Jr.: Former Pharr, TX, police chief and city manager who resigned in Sept. 2022. Arrested in Sept. 2023 for allegedly striking officers, charges dismissed; sued in March.
  URL:https://myrgv.com/local-news/2023/09/29/former-pharr-police-chief-struck-officers-during-arrest-affidavit-says/#google_vignette
  URL: https://www.valleycentral.com/investigations/judge-dismisses-charges-against-former-pharr-city-manager/
• Steven Huron: Former sergeant, San Antonio, TX, PD, retired in 2019, now teaching about policing.
• Ernest Morales III: Current chief, Minnesota Transit PD, with 33 years of experience.
• Kawanski Nichols: Sergeant, Houston, TX, PD.
• Jeffery Norman: Chief, Milwaukee, WI, PD since 1996.
• Geneane Orndorff: Sergeant detective, Kemah, TX, PD, southeast of Houston.
• Brian Reyes: Patrol operations commander, San Antonio, TX, PD.
• Amanjeet Sandhu: Captain, New York, NY, PD.
• Anthony Schembri: Former commissioner, Rye, NY, PD.
• Ryan Urrutia: Assistant chief deputy, El Paso County, TX, Sheriff's Office; lost in the 2023 Democratic primary for sheriff.
• Hector Villarreal: Patrol officer, Kingsville, TX, PD, South Texas.
• Joshua Wallace: Commander, Chicago, IL, PD since 1999.