He’s been with Miami Beach police for 29 years. Monday, he was sworn in as chief.

Miami Beach has a new top cop.

On Monday, Police Chief Richard Clements was sworn in along with his new second-in-command, Deputy Chief Wayne Jones.

Clements, 56, is a 29-year veteran of the Miami Beach Police Department and has been deputy chief for the past three years. He also served on the department’s SWAT team for more than a decade. Clements was sworn in by his father, a retired Beach police officer.

The new police chief survived a South Beach shootout more than two decades ago. While Clements and his partner were confronting an armed man on Fifth Street and Washington Avenue in 1995, the man shot Clements in the thigh. Clements returned fire and hit the man, Marvin Douglas Martin, in the back. Martin was later sentenced to 30 years in prison.

The City Commission unanimously approved Clements’ appointment on June 26 following a recommendation from City Manager Jimmy Morales.

Jones is also a veteran of the Miami Beach Police Department, where he has worked since 1996. He recently oversaw police investigations as head of the Criminal Investigations Division.

Clements replaced Daniel Oates, who announced his retirement in April and has accepted a public safety consulting job with the U.S. Department of Justice.

Miami Herald staff writer Charles Rabin contributed to this report

This story was originally published July 1, 2019 at 2:48 PM.