Police Chief Eddie Garcia's resignation was a shock to Dallas' top officials. One council member said she was "blindsided" by the news that Garcia is leaving for Austin.

Austin city leaders on Thursday celebrated the hiring of Dallas police Chief Eddie García to oversee the city’s public safety operations, the fourth high-ranking official Austin has hired from Dallas since the spring.

The move reunites Eddie Garcia with T.C. Broadnax, Dallas' former city manager who took the same role in Austin.

A memo from Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax says Garcia will begin as assistant city manager overseeing public safety on Nov. 4.

Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia will retire from the department, a city council member confirmed to KERA. Garcia will become an assistant city manager in Austin.

Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax announced that former Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia will begin overseeing Austin's public safety departments later this fall. (Courtesy Dallas Police Department) The former head of the Dallas Police Department will begin managing Austin's public safety and emergency management departments as an assistant city manager later this fall.

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson and Interim City Manager Kimberly Tolbert said they are going to focus on finding a new police chief to achieve the goal of making Dallas a safer city.