Gov. Charles W. Turnbull has nominated Franz A. Christian, his acting Police commissioner, to fill the post permanently.
"I have found Franz Christian to be highly responsible and extremely knowledgeable in all areas of police work," Turnbull said in his announcement late Thursday.
Christian has been in law enforcement for 25 years. He was deputy chief of police in St. Croix from 1989 until 1995. In 1996 he was promoted to police captain and served as special assistant to the commissioner. In 1997 he became acting assistant police commissioner.
Turnbull had been under some pressure to name his Police commissioner — he had 90 days under the law to allow Christian to continue in an acting capacity. Turnbull had said he might turn to someone off-island to head the force but submitted Christian's name to the Legislature on Monday.