Keith Cross To Take Over As New Aurora Police Chief

AURORA, Ill. (CBS) -- There is a new chief running the second-largest police department in Illinois.

Deputy Chief Keith Cross will be taking over as the police chief in Aurora once the city council there approves his appointment.

Cross is an Aurora native, and has been with the Aurora Police Department for 27 years. As he prepares to take the helm, Cross said community partnerships will be key to continuing the downward trend in crime rates in Aurora.

"You know, the police can't solve crimes without the help of the community, so I think that's where bridging that gap with the community, and continuing to build trust, is only going to help us make the city safer," Cross said.

The new chief will replace Kristen Ziman, who is retiring next month after a 30-year career with the department.

Ziman was a finalist last year to take over as Chicago Police superintendent. The job ended up going to Supt. David Brown.