Fmr. Miami Police Major Sworn In As Ferguson Police Chief
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MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) - Former Miami police major Delrish Moss was sworn in Monday as Ferguson, Missouri's first black police chief.
Moss, who was just a few months away from retirement with the Miami Police Department, said this job is a calling to make a difference.
Moss has said he hopes to diversify the mostly white department as it rebounds from the fallout of months of unrest that followed the fatal 2014 police shooting of Michael Brown.
Last month a judge approved Ferguson's settlement with the U.S. Justice Department to amend the municipal code, eliminate bias and reform the courts and police department.
Moss said his first priority will be to hire more black and female officers to have the police force look more like the community it patrols and that one of his first official tasks will be to go out on foot patrols with his officers to meet the people of Ferguson.
"Not only get out and around, I also plan to talk to people and ask for their input on solutions and find out the solutions they offer," said Moss.
Moss spent 20 of his 32 years in Miami as public information officer. He replaces Tom Jackson, who resigned in March 2015 following a Justice Department report critical of Ferguson's criminal justice system.
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