ANNAPOLIS — (AP)  The mayor of Annapolis has fired the city’s police chief.

Mayor Michael Pantelides announced the firing of Michael Pristoop in a statement Wednesday morning.

Pantelides says Pristoop’s firing was “not about the person, but rather about creating a new direction for policing and enforcement efforts, while generating new initiatives in our police department.”

Pristoop, who has been chief for nearly nine years, was not immediately available for comment.

The decision comes after the city’s deadliest year on record, with 12 homicides in the last 12 months and 10 in 2016. The mayor and City Council have authorized an additional $1.25 million increase for the police department.

(photo: Annapolis Police Twitter)