Six Finalists for Fort Worth Police Chief

Fort Worth, Texas – The City of Fort Worth has narrowed its search for a new police chief to six finalists, two of whom are internal candidates.

The six — Wendy Baimbridge of Houston, Troy Gay of Austin, Christopher C. Jones of Las Vegas, Derick D. Miller of Carrollton, and Neil Noakes and Julie A. Swearingin (both from Fort Worth) — were selected from a pool of more than 50 applicants from around the U.S.. The city has been working with recruitment agency Strategic Government Resources to select a new police chief after current chief Ed Kraus announced he would retire by the end of the year.

“Choosing the individual who will lead our police department is one of the most important hiring decisions we have to make,” city manager David Cooke said in a statement.

On Tuesday, the City Council will hear details on the interview process and when the candidates will be introduced to the community.

Here’s a quick rundown of the finalists.

Wendy Baimbridge

Baimbridge has served with the Houston Police Department since 1992 and became assistant chief in 2017. 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 hails from Austin, where he’s served with the Austin Police Department since 1991. He became assistant chief in 2013. Gay has a bachelor’s degree from Texas State University, performed graduate work in criminal justice at the University of Virginia, and graduated from the FBI National Academy.

Christopher C. Jones

Jones currently serves as assistant sheriff with the Las Vegas Municipal Police Department, a post he recently assumed in February. 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, chief of police at the Carrollton Police Department since 2017, has been with the department for 28 years. 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, one of the two finalists from Fort Worth, has served as deputy chief since 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, also from Fort Worth, currently serves as assistant chief of the department. She has a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice administration from Tarleton State University and graduated from the FBI National Academy.