The new Phoenix Police chief arrives from the upper echelon of the Dallas Police Department with more that three decades of law enforcement experience.

On Monday, city officials announced the hiring of Daniel Garcia, an assistant chief and the third highest-ranking law enforcement officer in Dallas, reports the Arizona Republic. Garcia was well liked in his department and viewed as "a cop's cop," sources told POLICE Magazine.

It has been the Police Department's good fortune to have had such a strong leader and innovator," Dallas Police Chief David Brown wrote on Facebook. "The Phoenix Police Department will greatly benefit from his experience, dedication and love for policing."

Garcia was selected from among four finalists that also included former San Jose (Calif.) Police Chief Robert Davis, Phoenix Assistant Chief Kevin Robinson, and acting Phoenix Chief Joe Yahner.

Garcia is a 33-year veteran of the Dallas PD, serving since 2004 as assistant chief in charge of four divisions, including communications and detention. The department has three other assistant chiefs. Only a first assistant chief and Chief Brown outranked Garcia.

Phoenix Public Safety Manager Jack Harris retired in April. At the time, Harris' retirement was viewed as a casualty of political fueding. City Manager David Cavazos had stripped him of day-to-day control of the department.

The cities are comparable in size. Phoenix is currently the nation's fourth-largest metropolis with 1.47 million residents, while Dallas is the sixth largest city with 1.24 million residents.

By Paul Clinton