Spokane's new director of law enforcement will start his job in Spokane on Oct. 1.

Frank Straub, the former director of public safety for the city of Indianapolis, was hired by the Spokane City Council in a 6-0 vote Monday night. He will appear at a press conference this afternoon in Spokane.

Straub said Monday night that he has made an offer, which was accepted, on a home on the South Hill. He hopes he and his fiance can move in by Nov. 1.

Meanwhile, the city will be without a police chief for at least a few weeks. City spokeswoman Marlene Feist said that Interim Chief Scott Stephens will become the assistant chief as soon as Straub starts work, even though Straub won't be the chief until he becomes a commissioned officer in Washington.

Straub is engaged to Amber Myers, whom he supervised as the chief of Animal Care and Control for Indianapolis. She recently left the position to move to Spokane. Straub has said their relationship was strictly professional until he provided his resignation to the Indianapolis mayor in April. He stayed on as the director of public safety until last month to assist in a transition period.

Straub did not inform his boss of the relationship until August, though the relationship began in April. Indianapolis does not have a rule against administrators dating their employees. Straub said in an interview Monday night that he does not regret waiting more than three months to inform his superiors because he already had submitted his letter of resignation and that he wanted to wait until "we had committed to each other."

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