The timing of Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia’s departure could lead to the selection of someone with a history of perceived anti-police sentiments as his replacement.

When Garcia leaves for Austin, his successor will likely be chosen by interim City Manager Kim Tolbert, who ascended to her job when her predecessor, City Manager T.C. Broadnax, similarly left Dallas for Austin. Tolbert, a former deputy city manager, has a long history serving in the Dallas city government and an equally long history of engaging with anti-police content online.

In the summer of 2020, as riots swept the nation following the death of George Floyd during an interaction with police officer Derek Chauvin, Tolbert began frequently engaging with content from civil rights attorney Ben Crump.

She liked a facepalm and angry emoji quote-tweet on a post from the author that read, “Yet another #LivingWhileBlack situation… Apparently these people couldn’t drive around to look at houses without looking suspicious. It’s even more upsetting that it takes knowing a white woman to make this officer quit harassing them! THIS is why we call for change.”

The assessment of police action as being discriminatory and pervasive against blacks is consistent with Crump’s worldview. Crump is the author of Open Season: Legalized Genocide of Colored People, a 2019 book — updated in January 2024 — that uses the death of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others to support the thesis that law enforcement is committing genocide against black Americans.

Other Tolbert “likes” on Crump posts have included statements accusing police of killing other black men without justification and the author’s pledges to continue his fight for “justice.”

Tolbert has posed for photos with Philonise Floyd, the brother of George Floyd, sharing it on social media in December 2022, along with congratulations for his work in “racial justice.”

In another X posting, Tolbert “liked” a video of a little girl and numerous protesters chanting “No Justice, No Peace,” a phrase that is frequently understood to threaten or precede violence if protesters’ demands are not met.

Tolbert was not merely a digital observer to these protesters; she often appeared before them and shared photos of protests, although it is unclear if she was there in her official capacity. Tolbert once posted a photo of Broadnax where he told protesters, “I am a black man and I feel your pain.”

In the post, she quoted Broadnax’s apparent reference to “systemic changes that are needed in our city,” a phraseology borrowed from leftist rhetoric.

Yet not every police-centric post Tolbert engaged with was negative.

She has liked several tweets, often from the Dallas Police Department or Mayor Eric Johnson, that serve as digital memorials for slain officers.

Tolbert’s professional focus has largely centered on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs (DEI), as The Dallas Express has previously reported. She frequently posts about promoting various DEI programs and attends conferences on DEI and other leftist subjects.

In Dallas, the city council appoints the city manager and the city manager appoints the police chief. This creates the issue that Garcia’s permanent successor could be recruited and appointed by someone who may not be in their role permanently.

Though many believe Tolbert is the frontrunner for the job, the changing political scene in Dallas poses other issues for her ability to continue in her role.

A proposed amendment to the Dallas City Charter that will be on the ballot in November requires an annual survey of residents that would factor into the city manager’s compensation and employment. The law would require the city to survey at least 1,400 residents, with the results informing whether the city manager keeps his or her job and whether the incumbent gets an annual performance bonus.

Historically, survey respondents have been mixed in their reviews of city government’s performance, and devastating on certain topics, such as crime and vagrancy. Tolbert has previously faced scrutiny for ringing up more than $13,000 in expenses for her travel that some have perceived as irrelevant to the issues that survey respondents say they are most concerned about.