The city of Mount Vernon now has a new police chief after a 10-month vacancy.

Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard swore in Lt. Capt. Marcel Olifers into his new role Monday.

Olifers had been overseeing the Emergency Services Department. His promotion comes amid ongoing nationwide protests.

Many are now calling for the defunding of police departments. Mayor Patterson-Howard responded to the calls by saying the Mount Vernon Police Department will always be around.

"We have to reimagine policing, and ensuring that we are leading in a model that involves, community policing. Our police department right now does a lot of work with our youth bureau, with our schools," she says.

Chief Olifers is a more than 30-year veteran of the Mount Vernon Police Department.