Joel N. Smith, a member of the Niagara Fall Police Department for more than 10 years, set a historic first for the law enforcement agency earlier this week.

On Monday, Mayor Robert Restaino and Police Superintendent John Faso announced during a ceremony at city hall that Smith, a former patrol officer, would be promoted to the rank of lieutenant. The promotion will make Smith the first commander of color in the patrol division, according to the Niagara Gazette.

Although the department has had a minority deputy superintendent and minority detectives, Smith’s promotion sets an unprecedented first in its 129-year history. The newly appointed lieutenant pledged to put professionalism, service to others and maintaining community relationships atop his priorities in the role.

”I don’t want to let my community down, so I’ll always exemplify professionalism, service, and community policing every call as a supervisor and I’m looking forward to it and thankful I’m here,” he told local news station WIVB.

Joel Smith made history when he became The first Black Lt. in the Niagara Falls Police Department. Hear how he hopes to bridge the gap between the communities of color and police on @news4buffalo 👮🏾‍♂️#niagarafalls
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— Kelly Khatib (@KellyKhatibtv) May 11, 2021

In 2012, Smith graduated from the police academy and was focused on using the skills he learned in training to benefit and support people of the community, the Niagara Gazette reports.

The police academy class president remarked that Smith’s graduating class consisted of people who were drawn to do police work due to a strong sense of servitude.

“People call the police when they are in desperate need of help, when they’ve exhausted all of their options and they don’t know what to do,” Daniel Barrancotta said. “This profession is unlike any other. We run to chaos when everyone else is running away.”

To begin his law enforcement career, Smith started out as a school resource officer and said effective community policing was paramount to his success. He expressed that he feels a duty to help rewrite the narrative about engagements between police and communities of color.

“When I see them out in the street they don’t see a police officer, they see Joel, they see coach. So that apprehension, that tension, it’s not there because they see me as a human being and as a person who genuinely cares for them,” Smith shared.

Superintendent Faso said that the lieutenant’s commitment to the community and dedication to serve and protect, make him an ideal candidate for the role.

“I kind of refer to him as a gentle giant. He just has that demeanor where he’s somebody who’s very approachable,” Faso said. “I think people feel comfortable around him and he also brings his work ethic to the department. He takes his job to heart.”

While Smith understands that healing relationships in marginalized communities will take time, he says he believes in his work at the police department and is thrilled to join in making a positive difference.

“Law enforcement is a tough job,” he said. “Are there changes that need to be made? Absolutely. Are we portrayed one way? Absolutely. But I just always take it as one call of service at a time.”