The man set to take over as police chief in a North Carolina town that has gone for six months without one may be new on the job, but he's not new to the area.

The Fayetteville Observer reports Saturday that Red Springs police Chief Troy McDuffie was introduced Thursday as the new chief for Spring Lake. He takes command Dec. 14.

McDuffie spent 16 years at the Fayetteville Police Department after four years in Fort Bragg's 82nd Airborne Division. He took over the Red Springs department in 2006.

Spring Lake has been unable to make arrests since earlier this year, when a judge effectively stripped the town of those powers. That came after a state police probe led to the arrest of two supervising officers.

Former chief A.C. Brown resigned in May.