LIBERTY The Liberty Police Department has a new man in charge for the first time since 2018.

Captain Ray Buhala was promoted to Acting Chief of Police, effective June 30, at the July 24 Liberty Trustees meeting.

Buhala has been with the Liberty Police Department since September 2001.

21 News reported that Chief Toby Meloro's last day on the job will be December 19, but he is on leave until then.

Meloro was named interim chief in 2018 after the retirement of former chief Rich Tisone. His appointment drew some criticism due to allegations that he did not properly investigate the death of a woman whose body was found on a tractor partially submerged in a pond on a farm on Shannon Road in 2017.

Meloro had been with the department since 1993 before becoming chief.