FERGUSON • Chief Delrish Moss, hired in 2016 to lead the police department in a city still divided after the shooting of Michael Brown, will be leaving at the end of October.

Moss is resigning to return to Florida to care for his ailing mother, Mayor James Knowles said Wednesday. Deputy Chief Frank McCall will serve as the interim chief during the search for a replacement.

“We’ve been very appreciative of his efforts here,” Knowles said of Moss. “He came here with an open mind, and I think he learned to really embrace the community even though it was not very welcoming when he got here.

“He certainly worked to reach out and engage people over the past couple of years and he won over some, but it’s a tough endeavor. Overall, I think he’ll look back on the work he did here in Ferguson and he’ll have said he made his mark for certain.”

Moss was unavailable for comment.