Slippery Rock University has named a lieutenant/commander with the Allegheny County police as its new director and chief of university police, officials said today.

Robert F. Downey succeeds Eric Holmes, a Pittsburgh City Police detective who was interim chief over the last year. Mr. Downey's appointment is effective Aug. 18.

Mr. Downey has been with the County Police since 1980. He has been a uniformed patrol officer, detective, uniformed sergeant and detective sergeant, before being promoted to lieutenant/commander of the general investigations unit in 2002.