By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Alabaster Mayor David Frings appointed Curtis Rigney as Alabaster’s new police chief on Oct. 19 after a nearly monthlong search.

Rigney has been working with the Alabaster Police Department for 22 years, and served as the deputy chief for the past 10 years. He served as the department’s interim chief after former Police Chief Stanley Oliver announced in August he planned to retire on Oct. 1.

“He was the best man for the job,” Frings said of Rigney. “Because it is a municipal department, we needed someone with a strong background in the department’s services.

“Curtis has served in almost every level of the department,” Frings added. “He has an understanding of the challenges of those departments, and I think that will be very valuable to the next (city) administration.”

Frings said Rigney has worked with the city over the past several years on projects such as a new police department software system, which was recently approved by the Alabaster City Council.

Rigney holds a college degree and was the department’s first graduate of the FBI academy, Frings said.

“He has had opportunities to go elsewhere, and he has always stayed with Alabaster,” Frings said. “He loves the city of Alabaster.”

The department held a ceremony at the police department on Oct. 19 as Frings presented Rigney with the chief badge. Rigney, a Hoover native, now lives in Alabaster with his wife and children.

“I’m honored to be the chief. It’s a fantastic job, and we’ve got some great opportunities as a city,” Rigney said. “I look forward to working with (incoming) Mayor (Marty) Handlon moving forward.”