Spokane hires Indy’s former public safety director as police chief

Frank Straub will be the new police chief in Spokane, the mayor of the Washington city announced Wednesday.

Straub was most recently the director of public safety for the city of Indianapolis.

His appointment will be forwarded to the Spokane City Council for confirmation.

Straub will replace Anne Kirkpatrick, who retired.

Straub was previously the head of the city of White Plains, N.Y, Department of Public Safety, and worked for the New York City Police Department, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Naval Investigative Service, and the U.S. State Department.

Straub announced his resignation from Indianapolis in April but didn't officially leave the position until Aug. 10. Straub was hired in 2009 to clean up and modernize the Indianapolis Police Department but under went heavy criticism over investigators' mishandling of evidence in a fatal crash involving an officer.