Mayor Dan Sullivan named a former Anchorage cop currently working for the local School District as the city's chief of police Monday.

Mark Mew will take over the Anchorage Police Department, Sullivan announced at a press conference.

Right now Mew, 55, is in charge of emergency preparedness and security for the Anchorage School District. He has held the position for six years. Before that, he was a 20-year veteran of the police department.

"He will be an outstanding chief for Anchorage," Sullivan said. "He really just rose to the top based on his long experience in the department, his qualifications and his commitment to making Anchorage a safer place to live, work and raise a family."

If confirmed by the city Assembly, Mew will be in charge of about 400 sworn employees, 150 non-sworn personnel and an $89 million annual budget.

As with the rest of the city, the police department is undergoing strict budget constraints and has been instructed by the new mayor to tighten its purse strings.

Mew said he considered the department to be in relatively good shape but there was room for improvement. He would not elaborate on any changes he had in mind without first talking to those in the department and taking a close look at department data.

"I'm not coming from the position that something's broken and needs drastic fixing," he said.

The department has been without a chief since Rob Heun resigned in August; he was eventually nominated to be the next U.S. Marshal for Alaska. Deputy Chief Steve Smith has been acting chief since Heun left.

AVOIDS UNNECESSARY RISKS

In an interview after the press conference, Mew described himself as a "detail guy."

"I'm not as flamboyant or as flashy as maybe others might be, and while I take risks, I try to avoid unnecessary risks at all costs," he said of his leadership style.

He compared that style to football: "I don't like to throw the long bomb. I'd rather keep the ball on the ground, run up the middle, make three yards per play -- not run unnecessary risks," he said. "It's a lot more work that way, and it requires a team, but I think in the long term that's the way. The steady grind is how you get to your objective."

Mew started at the Anchorage Police Department in 1983. He worked patrol, theft and burglary, as well as being on what was then the equivalent of the SWAT team. He was deputy chief between 1997 and 2000; acting chief in 2001; and deputy chief again from 2001 to 2003. He was passed up for the top position when Walt Monegan got it in 2003.

Mew graduated from the FBI's academy in 1994 and has a bachelor's degree from the University of Oregon.

Part of the reason he left the department in 2003 was to spend more time with his family, he said. "I had my 20 years in. I had done everything I wanted to do, except maybe be chief," he said.

CATCHING UP

Anchorage Police Department Employees Association President Derek Hsieh said Mew will have some catching up to do: "He's been out of the game, obviously, for a while, so he's going to need to reacquaint himself."

Mew is no longer a certified police officer and must become certified to take the position. He might have to take a two-week refresher course at a police academy to get back his badge.

"There is no doubt in my mind that he will be an extraordinary and successful chief," said Mew's current boss, School District Superintendent Carol Comeau. "He's absolutely honest and ethical, and I believe he cares very much about the safety of the community."

The other finalists for the job were Acting Chief Smith and Michael G. Denney, assistant chief of police in Mesa, Ariz.

Mew will begin his position as chief no later than Jan. 31, according to the mayor's office.

Mew's wife, Diane, is the student services secretary at the Eagle River High School. He's got two children, a son in the Navy and a daughter in college. According to a database of public records, Mew is a registered Republican.