Larry Giddens, who has been Lakeland's interim police chief since Lisa Womack resigned under fire in January, has been tabbed to head up the department.

Giddens, 52, was one of three finalists for the position. One of the others, Topeka, Kans., Deputy Chief Tony Kirk, has been hired as assistant chief, the city announced Wednesday.

“We really got the best of both worlds with Chief Giddens, who has continually served this community unselfishly for over 30 years, and Assistant Chief Kirk, who will bring his 27 years of law enforcement experience to Lakeland," City Manager Doug Thomas said in a statement.

"Today I have been inundated with hundreds of calls, emails and text messages," said Giddens. "I am going to be up till two or three in the morning answering them all. I am overwhelmed. It's a sense of pride for the community."

Giddens started his career with the Lakeland as an auxiliary officer in 1984 and was hired full-time in 1985 as a patrol officer. Since then, he worked in special weapons and tactics, the street crimes unit, hostage negotiations, special investigations and community services.

As a captain, he was commanding officer of the uniform patrol division and was named assistant chief in 2011, overseeing the neighborhood services bureau.  He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from St. Leo University and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

“I moved into the interim chief of police position with the intentions on improving relations with the media and the State Attorney’s office, as well as solidifying strong partnerships with our fellow local, regional, state and federal law enforcement agencies," Giddens said. "I’m eager to bring my experience and skills to this position, and with Tony Kirk joining our administrative team, we are going to continue to get better as an agency.”

Kirk, 49, started his career as a patrol officer and moved up within the Topeka Police Department. Early in his career, Kirk served as a narcotics officer, community police officer and a detective.

In 2005, he was named major over criminal investigations. He moved to special operations and field operations before being named deputy chief in 2012. Kirk is a staff sergeant with the Kansas Army National Guard and holds both a Masters and Bachelor of Science from Friends University in Wichita, Kansas. He, too, has graduated from the FBI National Academy.

Giddens was cleared in two internal investigations in April. He had been accused of threatening a former officer's retirement status and harassing an officer during a phone call.

The appointment is effective immediately, and Giddens will earn $145,000 a year. Kirk is expected to start in March and will make $122,000.