The next Salinas police chief was announced at a press conference Tuesday at the city hall. City Manager Steven Carrigan and Mayor Kimbley Craig were both present as they announced Roberto Filice as the next chief. It is the city manager's job to hire a police chief and the city council does not play a role in the hiring process."I as your police chief am ready for the challenge," said Roberto Filice at the press conference announcing his new role. Filice has served as the interim chief since the last chief stepped down and was the assistant chief of police for four years prior. In his first speech as chief, Filice laid out his vision for the Salinas police. He wants his department to be known as a public servant to the community. Filice said, "that's the legacy I want to leave behind. l would love for people in Salinas to know my officers by the first name, I would love for people to call me by my first name."Filice has been with the Salinas Police Department since 2017. Filice has been in law enforcement for 25 years. He has been a member of Monterey County law enforcement for the past 13 years with his first job being at the Seaside Police Department. He's also worked with the Marina Police Department. Filice wants his department to focus on community policing — something city leaders are confident he'll be able to do. "You'll see him out in the community, you'll see him at community events he's not going to be a chief that runs the department from behind the desk," said Craig, Salinas Mayor. Filice also plans to focus on officers' mental health by applying for federal grants to hire mental health specialists. Filice also wants to bring in more technology.Craig said, "I do think that there is an opportunity there to utilize some new technology that is out. I feel like Salinas could really benefit from that."Filice knows the challenges he faces, like keeping people safe in a growing city. Another challenge is recruiting and keeping officers, "because they are the greatest assist that we have are our people, regardless of everything else, it's our people that count," Filice said. The former police chief, Adele Fresé, left after five years on the job. Fresé said she wants to spend more time with family both in California and Texas. She started in 2016 as the department's first female chief in its 153 years.