Col. Hans Brinke has been appointed as the director of the Alaska State Troopers.
Alaska Department of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan announced the appointment Friday.
Brinke has been with the public safety department since 1991, when he participated in the 41st recruit class at the state's law enforcement academy in Sitka, according to a DPS statement.
"(Brinke) rose through the ranks working in patrol in both rural and urban settings. Through the years he has served as a K-9 handler and a drug investigator before being promoted to captain at headquarters in Anchorage," according to the statement.
The previous director of the troopers, Col. Jim Cockrell, was appointed to the position in January 2014.
Cockrell is retiring from the position, according to troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters. Friday was Cockrell's last day on the job, she said.