Dermot F. Shea, the Police Department’s chief of detectives, was named New York’s next commissioner on Monday, succeeding James P. O’Neill as the leader of the largest police force in the United States.

In announcing the change, Mayor Bill de Blasio hailed Chief Shea, who spent four years overseeing the department’s data-driven CompStat program, describing him as “a proven change agent, using precision policing to fight crime and build trust between police and communities.”

The mayor added that the chief’s background made him “uniquely qualified” to push the city’s already historically low crime rate down even further.

In a statement, Chief Shea, who will take over on Dec. 1, said he planned to build on Commissioner O’Neill’s legacy, “while continuing my life’s work to eradicate gangs and guns from our streets.”

Despite his high rank, Chief Shea, 50, is not a prominent public figure. Here is what we know about New York’s next police commissioner:

He is a 28-year veteran of the Police Department.

He began his career as a beat officer in the 46th Precinct in the Bronx in 1991. There were more than 2,000 murders in New York that year. By comparison, there were 289 in 2018.

He was commander of the 44th and 50th precincts in the Bronx.

He also did tours in Manhattan and Queens, working at various times in narcotics, investigations and plainclothes units.

In 2014, he was appointed chief of crime control strategies and deputy commissioner for operations, where he oversaw the CompStat program.

The Daily News reported in a 2017 profile that he slept on a cot in his office every Wednesday while preparing for the CompStat meeting the next day.

He was appointed to his current position in April 2018. As chief of detectives, he oversees all of the department’s criminal investigations.

He grew up in Sunnyside, Queens, a son of Irish immigrants.

Michael Gold contributed reporting.

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