The Prince George's County Council has approved Mark Magaw as the county's police chief.
The Washington Post reports that the Council officially appointed Magaw to lead the 1,500-member department on Tuesday.
Magaw had been serving as interim chief since December, when he was appointed to replace Roberto Hylton.
Magaw, a 27-year veteran who previously served as a deputy chief and a narcotics commander, has been credited with improving morale in the department by giving lower-level supervisors more
responsibility.
The county has had 60 homicides so far this year, compared with 48 at the same time last year. Magaw says that although homicides are a concern, overall crime is down 6.7 percent this year compared to the same period last year.
New Police Chief in Prince George's
Copyright AP - Associated Press