Story highlights Ferguson, Missouri, hires Andre Anderson as interim police chief

Anderson, who is black, is taking a leave of absence from his commander post with police in Glendale, Arizona,

The U.S. Justice Department has said Ferguson police discriminated against African-Americans

(CNN) Andre Anderson says his main task will be to restore trust between Ferguson's predominantly black populace and the Missouri city's mostly white police force.

Anderson, the city's first African-American head of police, believes he's the right man for the job.

Ferguson officials on Wednesday introduced Anderson as the city's latest interim police chief. He will take at least a six-month leave of absence from his commander post with police in Glendale, Arizona, to tackle a department put in the national spotlight by last August's shooting of teenager Michael Brown.

Anderson told reporters his first priority would be "simply to build trust" and enhance the city's recent efforts to get officers to develop positive relationships with people in the areas they patrol.

That "simple answer to a sometimes complicated situation," Anderson said, is not something the force can do on its own, and he asked for the community's help as he leads.

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