The Austin City Council unanimously approved the appointment of Austin Police Capt. David McKichan to be the next Chief of the Austin Police Department during its regular meeting Tuesday evening.

McKichan’s appointment came at the recommendation of Mayor Tom Stiehm.

“Dave is going to be a good chief,” Stiehm told the council. “He is going to fall into some pretty big footsteps, but I think he’s up to the task… I couldn’t be more impressed.”

“I’m excited by the opportunity,” McKichan said of his appointment. “We have a great city to work for. The relationship between the mayor, the council and our department and other departments within the city has always been good. I look forward to moving forward with them into the future.”

McKichan has been with the Austin Police Department since 1997, serving as its captain since 2010. He has also served on various groups, such as Apex Austin, APAC Austin and the local Drug Task Force.

He will be taking over for outgoing Chief Brian Krueger, who informed the mayor in August of his intention to retire.

“I’m extremely proud of David McKichan,” Krueger said. “He has worked here for 21 plus years and he has done an outstanding job throughout his entire career. He’s handled himself with the highest regard to everyone here and is very enthusiastic about his work. I couldn’t pick a better candidate to replace me.”

McKichan will be sworn in on Feb. 20.