David P. Gelios

DETROIT — FBI director James B. Comey has named David P. Gelios as the special agent in charge of the Detroit division.

Gelios, 53, started his FBI career in 1995. He has served in Kentucky, California, Connecticut, Alaska and Washington, D.C., mostly focusing on combating crime.

The new special agent in charge, who succeeds Paul M. Abbate, is a graduate of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana and a former high school teacher, college coach and outreach officer for the University of California’s office of the president.

During his tenure in California, Gelios served on the evidence response team and was trained as a crisis negotiator. In Connecticut, he was New Haven’s critical incident management program and SWAT Team.

Gelios’ appointment signals a shift in the FBI’s Detroit office from counterterrorism efforts to fighting crime. Previous top agents in the Detroit division had extensive background in national security.

Southeast Michigan is struggling to curb violent crime, despite efforts to revitalize Detroit after the city’s bankruptcy.