Richmond Mayor L. Douglas Wilder is naming Maj. David McCoy to be the interim chief of the city's police department following the departure of Chief Rodney Monroe.

Wilder today also is expected to announce he is appointing Maj. John Buckovich to serve as assistant chief of the department.

McCoy, the longest-serving major on the police force, had most recently been heading the Support Services Division, which oversees the department's major-crimes division, special investigations and traffic and special events.

"While we will miss our outgoing chief and his many accomplishments to reduce crime in Richmond, we are fortunate to have seasoned members within our police department who can provide the skillful management needed to continue the momentum to fight criminal activity," Wilder said.

Buckovich, a former chief of staff under Monroe, has been in command of Area 1, which includes all operations in the city's First and Second precincts.

The appointments come just before tomorrow's departure of Monroe, who recently accepted a job to become chief of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Monroe, hired by Wilder to be chief in Richmond in February 2005, starts his new job Monday in North Carolina's largest city.

McCoy and Buckovich will serve in their new roles while Richmond begins a national search for a new chief. It is not yet clear whether that decision will fall to the new mayor.

Wilder is not running for re-election. His term expires at the end of this year.

Monroe has said there are "ample" candidates within the 750-member Richmond department from whom the next chief could be selected. McCoy was among the Richmond officers who applied for the chief's job in 2005 -- a job that eventually went to Monroe.

Wilder's decision on the interim appointments followed consultation with Monroe.

The shifting of jobs is expected to create opportunities for additional, high-ranking commanders to fill McCoy's and Buckovich's old jobs.

Contact Jim Nolan at (804) 649-6061 or jnolan@timesdispatch.com.