NEW YORK – Chief of Department Terence Monahan is leaving the NYPD after a nearly 40-year career to help lead the city out of the pandemic, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday.

The mayor said Monahan will take on a newly created role as senior adviser for recovery, safety and planning. He’ll be working with the city’s new recovery czar Lorraine Grillo.

"I really do look forward to working with you and the city's first ever recovery czar," Monahan said. "So for me to continue serving the people of this city and help to ensure its recovery, that is a true honor."

Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison will take over for Monahan as chief of department.

“There is no one in the NYPD that knows neighborhood policing better than Chief Harrison,” Monahan said. “I miss that uniform, but he makes that uniform proud.”

Police Commissioner Dermot Shea agreed, saying it was an “easy choice” to pick Harrison for the job.

Harrison became the first Black chief of detectives in 2019. During the briefing, he spoke about growing up in the city during “troubled times,” referencing gang violence, drugs and a negative encounter with police.

“I was stopped by a police officer that was extremely unprofessional,” he said. “All cops can’t be like this. How can I make it different and how can I make it change?”

Harrison said he’s looking forward to making the city a safer place to live, adding that for his work to be successful he needs communities to work together with the police.

“We can’t have incidents that we’ve had back in the 70’s and the 80’s,” Harrison said.

The department has faced criticism for how it handled the Black Lives Matter protests last summer.

Harrison said he wants to make sure the NYPD protects people who are engaging in peaceful protests.