In a move that was 26 years in the making, Brian Krueger officially took over as Austin’s police chief Monday night.

Krueger, who has been with the Austin Police Department for nearly three decades, was recognized by the mayor and City Council during a ceremonial pinning.

Afterward, Krueger said he was looking forward to taking charge of the APD, though he said a large focus of his will be on maintaining continuity within the department.

That will mainly mean following in the footsteps of Paul Philipp, who took over as chief in 1991 and retired earlier this year. And although that retirement came amid an internal complaint and all the associated controversy, Krueger said the former chief was an exemplary leader.

“Obviously, Paul set a great example for the rest of us,” Krueger said in an earlier interview. “He was very well respected. I want to continue that in my own way.”

Though he’s spent the last quarter century in Austin, Krueger hasn’t always called this city home. He was born in Manitowoc, Wis., and he lived in Ashwaubenon, Wis., just outside of Green Bay, through high school.

Given that background, it’s no surprise that Krueger is a diehard Green Bay Packers fan, and already the chief’s office has a few Brett Favre plaques on the wall — with No. 4 wearing green and gold, of course.

Despite being a lifelong Cheesehead, Krueger couldn’t say “no” to the University of Minnesota, which recruited him for baseball. There, he played on the diamond, but also began taking criminology courses. After a few classes, he knew what he wanted to do for a career.

That career started in 1983 with a short stay as a Brownsdale police officer. By 1984, Krueger was working as a patrol officer for the APD. He said he expected a quiet start to his work in Austin, but the Hormel strike of 1985 dashed that hope.

Three years later, Krueger was among the first members of the APD’s Special Incident Response Team, which deals with high-risk cases such as drug busts and hostage stand-offs.

Krueger remained active with SIRT and has been the team’s leader in recent years.

“It’s been very rewarding,” the detective said of his SIRT work.

Krueger said his time with SIRT has helped teach him the importance of “team-oriented” police work. Because of the high-risk nature of its cases, the team always operates with a number of officers, who all aim to train together regularly.

As he moves forward as police chief, Krueger said he will continue to focus on team-oriented police work. As part of that team approach, Krueger wants to add a captain to the squad to be his second in command. The city has been without a police captain since Curt Rude was put on leave in 2007.

Krueger said he wants to move quickly to fill that position, which will almost certainly come from within the ranks.

Whoever moves up to work with Krueger will be joining a man ready for a new challenge in what has become his old city.

“I have the qualities to do this job, and I have the trust and respect of staff,” Krueger said in an earlier interview. “I feel I have worked my way through the ranks.”