STEUBENVILLE — Ken Anderson, a 29-year veteran of the city’s police force, has been tapped as Steubenville’s new chief of police.

Anderson will succeed Bill McCaffery, who retired last week after 21 years in the chief’s seat.

City Council’s vote was unanimous.

“I had two very good candidates,” City Manager Jim Mavromatis said. “What I looked at in making my recommendation was the diversity of experience of both candidates. Clearly, Ken had more time on the job, more assignments, but that doesn’t mean the other candidate couldn’t be considered at a later date.”

Anderson graduated from Bowling Green University in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and joined the city police force two years later, working his way through the ranks until he was named captain in 2009 and administrative captain in 2015. In addition to numerous certifications, he was honored for “exemplary actions and outstanding police performance and the display of initiative, capability and attention to duty” in connection with an individual who had barricaded himself at Gaylord Towers in 2001 and “meritorious professionalism, devotion and attention to duty” during the kidnapping and murder of two Franciscan University of Steubenville students in 1999.

“We have a great police department and I’m honored and privileged to be a part of it,” Anderson said after the decision.

Mavromatis called Anderson “an excellent choice for the city.”

“He has a willingness to work,” he said. “Clearly, he has big shoes to fill with Chief McCafferty leaving.”

Mavromatis said a priority is going to be hiring more policemen, “It’s a very difficult position to fill today.”

And on the law enforcement side, he pointed out “there’s a lot of things he’ll have to look at.”

“It’s a new set of eyes looking at the department,” Mavromatis said. “He’ll have to look at it, assess it and make whatever changes and recommendations he needs to.”

Anderson’s swearing in has not been announced, though city officials hope to schedule it by the end of the week.