Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed announced two appointments Tuesday to address a complex crisis that has captured the attention of residents and demanded action. Reed named Jim Grayboys as interim police chief and Lawrence Baptiste IV as the city's public safety adviser.

Reed introduced Graboys as a 20-year veteran of the Montgomery Police Department, who most recently served as police chief at Alabama State University and as a senior compliance specialist for the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA). Reed thanked outgoing Interim Chief John Hall. April Duplicate Continued increase Property crime and violent crime increased, culminating in a mass shooting that shocked the city.

RELATED: Top floor of RSA office building destroyed by gunfire, mayor posts on social media

“I love this city. I love our police department. Since I took office, the men and women of this city have sacrificed and done everything they can for the well-being of the people of this city,” said Interim Police Chief Jim Grayboys. “To accept this fact, I pledge to do everything in my power to use every tool, mobilize every resource, to go after the criminals who seek to put you at risk.”

“These issues, whether they're an increase in crime or a decrease, are one crime too many,” he said.

Governor Reed also appointed Lawrence Baptiste IV, a decorated law enforcement officer from Mobile, as his Public Safety Advisor. Baptiste is a former narcotics agent, major crimes detective and juvenile probation officer who served as police chief for the city of Prichard and, in 2017, as police chief for the city of Mobile.

Grayson Everett is the state and politics editor for Yellow Hammer News. You can follow him on Twitter. Grayson