RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s capital city has a new police chief.

Raleigh officials on Friday named a veteran of the city’s police department, Deputy Chief Rico Boyce, to lead the force after conducting a national search.

Boyce succeeds Estella Patterson, who has been chief for 3 ½ years but is set to retire Saturday, City Manager Marchell Adams-David said Friday in a news release. 

Boyce has been a member of the Raleigh Police Department for 25 years, starting as a patrol officer. He has served in a variety of roles, including school resource officer and member the Gang Suppression Unit, and started an initiative to connect police and the community called Cops on Blocks.

“Rico Boyce has demonstrated that he knows how to effectively work with the community, and our process demonstrated the trust the community and the police department have in him,” Adams-David stated.

Boyce will be the 31^st chief to lead the department of more than 790 sworn officer positions.