Ferguson, MO  (KTRS)  The city of Ferguson will make history today.

Delish Moss will be sworn in as Ferguson’s first African-American police chief this afternoon. Moss replaces Chief Tom Jackson, who resigned in 2014 after a scathing report from the Department of Justice.

The 51-year-old veteran of law enforcement had this to say about this historical event. “I come from community where I’ve already established myself, where people already know who I am, who already have a pretty good feel for me. The option for me is always to go back to that. That option for Ferguson is not. So historical for me maybe, but I think it’s more historical for Ferguson in that out of this some good things can come.”

Moss says he hopes to diversify the mostly white department as it rebounds from the fallout of months of unrest that followed the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown.

“The reasons behind that could be vast, not necessarily that there’s a conspiracy not to diversify. It could be you just don’t have African-Americans applying for the job. So I’d like to see what those things are so I can figure out some new and creative things to attract people to this job.” said Moss

Moss recently, served as the supervisor of Miami Police Department’s Public Information/Community Relations Unit. During the past 32 years as Miami law enforcement officer, Moss has worked as a patrol officer, carried out a number of undercover assignments, and investigated countless violent crimes and death related incidents as a member of that department’s elite Homicide

The ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. at the Ferguson Community Center, located at 1050 Smith Avenue, Ferguson, MO 63135. A meet and greet will take place for the community beginning at 4 p.m.