Former Birmingham Police Chief Patrick Smith will take over as top cop of a city police force in Washington.

Smith resigned as Birmingham’s chief in 2022 after three years on the job. He cited personal reasons for his unexpected exit.

Smith will take the helm of the Lakewood Police Department effective March 1. The chief will oversee 111 full-time employees.

Lakewood City Manager John Caulfield announced Smith’s hiring on Saturday, saying he was chosen after a highly competitive selection and recruitment process. Smith was chosen from six finalists.

“He comes to Lakewood with over 32 years of law enforcement and leadership experience. Most recently he served as Police Chief of the Birmingham Police Department from 2018 to 2022. While in his home state of Alabama, he demonstrated his strategic management skills while running the largest law enforcement agency in the state,’’ according to the announcement.

“That included increasing engagement with the community, improving staff accountability, modernizing the department by adding a Real Time Crime Center that integrated technology for the department and establishing personnel development programs.”

“Chief Smith’s background and experience in implementing innovative technology solutions, coupled with his strong aptitude in building lasting relationships with those he works with and with the communities he serves, will serve our community well as it continues to grow,” Caulfield said.

“I am confident Chief Smith is a great fit not only for the department and our organization, but also for our community. I’m excited to see him continue to build on the work achieved by our past chiefs and continue to elevate our police department to the next level as he leads our officers.”