Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins, who managed the city's public safety efforts through the COVID-19 pandemic, will leave his position this winter.

Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan and the APD said Hawkins, who has been chief since 2018, will be the next police commissioner in Warren, Michigan, the third-largest city in the state with a population of 139,387, according to the 2020 U.S. Census.

Hawkins came to Albany from Southfield, Michigan, in September 2018. He starts his job in Michigan on Dec. 2. 

A year ago, Hawkins was in the running for the police chief position in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and in 2021, Hawkins became one of four finalists to become the next Akron, Ohio police chief. He withdrew from that opportunity in June of that year.

In departing, he said Wednesday that "hot-spot policing efforts" have been working in the city. He thanked Mayor Kathy Sheehan and police staff for their support over his six years in Albany. He said he thought it was time to pass the baton to someone else, but enjoyed his time in Albany.

"The hospitality has been just off the charts. I couldn’t have asked for a better community to call home for six years," he said.

Sheehan credited Hawkins for helping to double down on the city's committment to community policing, reimagining the department as required by New York state and helping to steer the city through a time when "the criminal justice system pretty much shut down" due to the pandemic.

"This is a challenging job, and we have been through some very challenging times since you arrived," the mayor said, adding that under Hawkins, "crime is down." 

The city needs a successful search for the chief's successor, the mayor said.

In a statement, Rep. Paul Tonko said Hawkins has been an integral partner in efforts to reduce gun violence, tackle the overdose crisis and bolster police-community relations across Albany.