ALBANY, N.Y. -- Despite more than two decades spent serving in Albany's police force, Brendan Cox says "chief" isn't a title he expected to earn.

"It's humbling," Cox said. "I don't know that that was my goal when I became a police officer, but it's an honor."

Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan announced her pick Wednesday, and said she didn't have to look far.

"I just thought it would be disingenuous to go out and do a search knowing that we had that leadership right here in the city and in the department," Sheehan said.

An Albany native, Cox spent the past 22 years as a police officer in various roles: overseeing Special Operations, the Children’s and Family Services Unit, and the Detective Division.

"Some of the things that I've learned are to be able to sit back, be patient, think things over," Cox said. "Get advice from people, do not make every decision on your own."

Those are key elements in the department's push toward community policing.

"The police department in and of themselves can't fix everything. We need partners to fix those things," Cox said.

"It's those types of initiatives and those types of challenges that we're facing, but that we're facing head-on with some really innovative ways of policing that are working," Sheehan said.

Among the challenges the department faces is a $20 million wrongful death lawsuit by the family of Donald Ivy. The 39-year old father died in April after police shocked him with tasers.

"The lawsuit is really secondary," Cox said. "When it comes down to it, tragedies like that affect everybody. They affect the officers, they affect the department, and they obviously affect Mr. Ivy's family."

Cox says he'll remain focused on continually improving practices, to avoid a tragedy like this from happening again.

Common Council has 45 days to endorse or oppose the chief's appointment.

Brendan Cox does not currently live in the city of Albany, but says he will ask for an extension so he can move after his son finishes high school next year.