Rochester Police Chief Michael Ciminelli is leaving the department September 15, to take a position with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Deputy Chief Mark Simmons has been named Interim Chief, effective September 16. Mayor Lovely Warren says there will be a national search for a permanent chief, and she is encouraging Simmons to apply for the job. Simmons is a Rochester native and currently leads the police department's administration bureau. He has been with the department for 16 years.
Ciminelli previously served with the DEA, and is said to be looking forward to returning to the Washington, D.C., area where his three daughters live.
Ciminelli was appointed Police Chief by Mayor Warren in March 2014.