Just off a year in which the city recorded 343 murders, Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh on Friday fired Police Commissioner Kevin Davis.

Pugh is naming Deputy Commissioner Darryl DeSousa, a 30-year veteran of the department, as interim commissioner. The permanent appointment is pending City Council approval.

Davis, the former Anne Arundel County police chief, was promoted from within Baltimore police leadership by then-Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake in the summer of 2015, three months after police were criticized for the response to the 2015 riots.

“As I have made clear, reducing violence and restoring the confidence of our citizens in their police officers is my highest priority,” Pugh said in a statement. “The fact is, we are not achieving the pace of progress that our residents have every right to expect in the weeks since we ended what was nearly a record year for homicides in the City of Baltimore. As such, I have concluded that a change in leadership is needed at police headquarters."

DeSousa,53, is a New York native who joined the Baltimore in 1988, and for the last year has led the patrol division. The mayor believes he has not just the experience for the job, but the respect of his fellow officers.

"I firmly believe that Commissioner-Designate DeSousa has the ideas, approach and demonstrated track record that will enable him to lead an accelerated effort to get criminals off our streets, reduce violence and restore safety – and peace of mind - throughout our neighborhoods," she said.

DeSousa came to Baltimore in 1988 to attend Morgan State University, but left the university to join the police--he finished his degree in 1997. He still lives in Baltimore and is the father of two grown children.

“Baltimore has long been my home and I’ve spent my career on its streets and in its neighborhoods to address problems and bring about solutions that are meaningful for the people we serve," he said. "I am committed to this important work more than ever and look forward to validating the trust of Mayor Pugh, my fellow officers and most importantly, the citizens of Baltimore each and every day.”

Pugh is expected to talk more about the new police commissioner at a news conference at City Hall later Friday morning.