The nationwide search for a new police chief ultimately led St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman just up the road.

At a news conference Tuesday, Kriseman introduced Clearwater Police Chief Tony Holloway as the St. Pete police department's new head.

Some of the biggest issues Holloway faces include the homeless population and racial tension within the department, to which he said;

“Being homeless is not a crime. It looks bad in certain areas, so we've gotta go in and start making contact with the homeless people and find out what their issues are," Holloway said.

As for racial tension within the department, he said “I'm not going to promote anyone or transfer anyone based upon their color or their religion, I'm going to be promoting people based upon their performance at SPPD."

The newly hired chief certainly has some past controversy to tackle but he's also looking ahead at the basics - like tackling crime.

"A lot of people say, well the first thing I'm going to do is reduce crime in the city," he said. "I'm not going to sit here and tell you that. Our focus is going to be to reduce the fear of crime in the city, to start getting communities to work with us."

In ending a six-month-plus search, Kriseman said he is confident in Holloway's "ability to transform our department and to lead our force with integrity and moral authority."

The incoming chief has deep roots in the Bay area.

A Tampa native and Hillsborough High School graduate, Holloway earned bachelor's and master's degrees at Eckerd College in St. Pete.

Holloway joined the Clearwater Police Department in 1985 as a patrol officer. He accepted his first chief position in Somerville, Mass., in 2007 and returned to Clearwater in 2010 as the city's first black chief.

“My pledge to this community is to establish a good working relationship with citizens and community leaders from south St. Pete to Tyrone to Gandy and everywhere in between," Holloway said. "I’m going to park my car, walk the neighborhoods and talk to you. My pledge to the policing professionals of this great department is that I will meet and talk to every single one of you, as well."

Holloway, 52, is expected to start his new job in August.

St. Petersburg has been without a permanent chief since January, when Chuck Harmon retired after 12 years.