The city agency that hires police officers just got a new director

The Denver Civil Service Commission introduced Gracie Perez as its latest executive director Wednesday, more than two months after its previous leader was fired .

The big picture: Perez will lead the agency responsible for hiring and promoting police and firefighters, and will play a key role in Denver Mayor Mike Johnston's goal to hire 167 police officers this year to combat crime and reduce response times.

State of play: Previous director Niecy Murray was fired by the Board of Commissioners in May after criticizing the Johnston administration's approach to hiring more police officers.

• Murray suggested agency standards were declining due to political pressure from the mayor to meet his police hiring benchmark, including sidestepping the hiring protocol and pushing at least one applicant who failed a psychological exam.

Reality check: Denver Police has hired 71 officers so far this year, an agency spokesperson tells us, with plans to add two more recruiting classes this year.

Between the lines: The executive director leads a team that picks and tests uniformed officers through psychological, medical, polygraph and physical evaluations. Perez will need to ensure the commission fairly enforces its civil service rules.

• She most recently worked as the state and regional director for Texas Health & Human Services, leading more than 6,000 employees, according to an announcement from the commission.

What's next: Perez's first official day will be Aug. 26.