Charley Garcia, former head of Denver's public defender's office, today was named the city's newest safety manager.

Garcia will replace safety manager Mary Malatesta, who announced last week that she is resigning for personal reasons. Her last day will be March 16.

Garcia will be the fourth safety manager in less than a year. The position is the civilian authority over the Denver police, fire and sheriff's departments.

"Charley shares my firm commitment to expediting the unresolved cases involiving safey personnel," said Mayor Guillermo "Bill" Vidal in a press release.

The job is a mayoral appointment. A new mayor will be elected this spring.

The safety manager position has come under fire in the past year as a few discipline cases involving sheriff's deputies and police officers became public.

Those cases — including the jail death of Marvin Booker and the beating case of Michael DeHerrera — are still under review and have not yet reached the desk of the manager of safety.