ATLANTA — A special swearing-in ceremony was held for Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum Wednesday evening. The event took place at City Hall at 6 p.m.
Speakers at the police chief's ceremony included Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman, and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, among others.
During his speech, Schierbaum addressed the two arrests made in connection to the shooting near Atlantic Station, where 12-year-old Zyion Charles and 15-year-old Cameron Jackson were killed.
Schierbaum and Fulton DA Fani Willis also spoke about combatting gang violence in the City of Atlanta.
"This is why we serve ladies and gentlemen, the gangs cannot and will not steal the souls of our children," Schierbaum said. "We will fight."
Schierbaum had been serving as interim chief since May. He took over for Chief Rodney Bryant, who announced back in April that he would be retiring for a second time from the police force.
Schierbaum is Atlanta's 26th Chief of Police. He was officially named chief back in October. In a previous interview with 11Alive, the police chief said when he joined APD in 2002, he didn't plan to become chief. However, he rose through the ranks and said he's humbled to take on his new role.
"To come up through the ranks allows you to know the community, know who you're protecting, making sure we have that bond and connection," he said.
The police chief previously said he wants to focus on earning the trust of Atlantans and boosting employee morale within APD.
You can watch the police chief's ceremony in full on 11Alive's YouTube channel.
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