Denver Mayor Michael Hancock announced the appointment of a new sheriff Thursday, proclaiming a “new day” for a troubled department

Patrick Firman, a longtime Illinois corrections chief, will take over a department that has been plagued with systemic problems and has cost the city millions of dollars in legal settlements over misconduct cases.

“It’s going to be a challenge,” Firman said at a press conference held inside the Denver City and County Building. “There’s a lot of reform that’s been suggested. I think for anybody to say it’s going to be easy is kidding themselves.”

Firman recently served for five years as deputy chief of corrections for Illinois’ McHenry County sheriff’s office. Before that, he served as chief and deputy chief for the Lake County sheriff’s office, also in Illinois.

“As someone who has spent a career in corrections, I’m passionate about corrections,” he said. “I’m passionate about the people of corrections. I’m passionate about the goals of corrections in providing safe and secure detention for the people that we serve within the community.”

Firman takes over a department that is undergoing a major reform effort. Hancock ordered an independent review of the department after the city made headlines stemming from several excessive force and abuse cases in recent years.

A sweeping, 300-page independent report called for systemic changes at the department. The report spelled out 277 recommendations aimed at fixing the department, including more deputy training, better staffing, changes in leadership and a more efficient system to address inmate grievances.

Hancock has sought a “seismic shift and change” for a department culture that has often found itself in the news for all the wrong reasons.

“We needed a fresh perspective to come in, to understand, to see the culture for what it is and to make the changes necessary to improve,” Hancock said.

The mayor said Firman knew what he was getting into before accepting the position.

“I asked him, I said, ‘Do you still want this job?’” Hancock said to chuckles. “And he never wavered. We kept everything out in front of him so he understood all we’re dealing with, and he still said, ‘I’m your guy, and I’m ready to go to work.’”

“He knows this is a challenging situation and, quite frankly, leadership starts when someone says, ‘You know what? There’s an opportunity here.’”

Hancock said Firman was selected from six finalists who interviewed for the job. The Chicago-based independent contractor Hillard Heintze — a group that helped author the report — led the national search. A search committee made up of retired sheriffs and community members also assisted in the process.

Firman expressed confidence in his ability to lead the department, in spite of never having led a department as big as Denver’s.

“I think there’s always going to be differences from facility to facility,” he said. “I think the key though is that the core aspects of running a correctional facility are pretty constant.”

“I know there’s going to be a learning curve for me. This is obviously different from what I’ve done before. But I think I’ve got the base and the background that it’s not going to change from facility to facility,” he said.

Stephanie O’Malley, Denver’s executive director of safety, said officials have been working hard at enacting reforms and that obtaining department leadership is the next crucial step in the process.

“We sought somebody that we thought would step in and exercise the leadership that has been lacking from a lot of perspectives in the department, and we made the right choice,” she said after the press conference.

Firman said he will start by getting “the lay of the land and figure out where things are at this point before making any major decisions.” He said he wants his deputies “to know that I truly appreciate the work that they do.”

“I’m a career corrections guy,” he said. “I understand the unique culture of corrections. I appreciate it. I understand how to work within that culture.”

Hancock said in spite of all the issues the department has faced in recent years, only a handful of the more than 600 deputies there have contributed to the problem.

“With all that’s been going on, we’re talking about a very, very small percentage of a very proud group of men and women who put on that badge every day to care for and to protect the citizens of Denver,” the mayor said.

“They (the deputies) were concerned… about the leadership of this department. This is a critical piece to begin the process of really correcting the trajectory of this critical department and function of the City and County of Denver.”

— Twitter: @VicVela1