Fran Gomez will step up from her current position as Director of Professional Standards in the Denver Sheriff's department to serve as interim Sheriff following the resignation of Sheriff Patrick Firman.
She becomes the first woman to lead the Sheriff's Department in Denver.
Firman resigned after four years on the job and a string of incidents at the city and county jail. The latest scandal concerned a woman inmate who gave birth in a jail cell without any medical attention. She has filed a lawsuit against the city.
Fran Gomez has 30 years of law enforcement experience. She served as a deputy chief in Commerce City and headed a SWAT unit in Aurora.
She will be sworn-in in mid-October and will hold the job at least through the end of the year. The city may then launch a national search for a new sheriff early next year after holding meetings with citizens and department staff over the next few months.
Executive Director of Public Safety, Troy Riggs, describes Gomez this way: "She'll make the tough decisions, she's tenacious. she's friendly, she's got a nice smile but, believe me, she's tough as nails as well."