Troy Riggs is stepping down as chief of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Mayor Joe Hogsett announced Wednesday morning.

Riggs became police chief after Hogsett came into office in January. The mayor in a statement said that at the end of this "challenging year" Riggs would be leaving "to pursue other opportunities." But the mayor did not provide details.

“While we are grateful for the innovative ideas that Troy brought to the table over the last eleven months, I have already begun the process of assembling a new IMPD leadership team that will build upon our efforts to reduce violent crime and protect our neighborhoods," Hogsett said in the statement. "I remain more confident than ever in the dedication and bravery of the men and women who proudly wear the uniform of IMPD, every single day. ”

Hogsett and Riggs have scheduled a joint press conference for 10 a.m.

Riggs had been a key player in the administration of Hogsett's predecessor, Greg Ballard. He served as public safety director before quitting in June 2015 to become director of public safety outreach at the Indiana University Public Policy Institute at IUPUI.

Riggs previously served for two decades as a police officer in Louisville and as police chief in Corpus Christi, Texas.