ELKHART, Ind. -- Elkhart mayor Rod Roberson has selected a new Elkhart Chief of Police.

The city announced Ray Juengst will assume the role. 

According to a new release, he has more than 30 years of law enforcement and public safety experience. This includes serving as Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety for the city of St. Charles, Missouri.

He will be sworn in and officially join the department on August 24.

In a statement, Mayor Roberson provided the following:

“Selecting the right person to lead our Police Department is one of the most important decisions we can make as an administration, and we took that responsibility seriously. Chief Juengst brings decades of experience at nearly every level of law enforcement. But what stood out about Juengst was his understanding of what it takes to build an effective police department and a strong relationship with the community.”

Previous chief Dan Milanese stepped down in May following three years in the role.