Citing lower rates of murders and shootings, Mayor Sheila Dixon on Thursday named acting Police Commissioner Frederick Bealefeld the city’s top cop permanently.

“I am one million percent convinced this is going to turn around,” Bealefeld, a former deputy commissioner, told The Examiner. “When — not if — when this thing turns around, the long-term strategies we’ve committed to are going to pay off.”

The mayor said she had “great confidence” in Bealefeld and cited a 35 percent decrease in shootings during Bealefeld’s tenure in the summer months when murders and shootings traditionally spike.

“During his time as acting commissioner, the murder rate is down, as is the overall rate of shootings,” Dixon said in a statement. “This is no coincidence. This is no accident.”

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Dixon forced former commissioner Leonard Hamm’s resignation in July amid increasing murders. As of Wednesday, the city had 231 homicides compared to 212 during the same time period last year.

“We’re seeing some good movement in the right direction,” Bealefeld said. “It’s baby steps.”

Dixon’s decision to hire Bealefeld instead of his chief competitor, former D.C. Police Chief Charles Ramsey, was immediately praised by City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Baltimore Police Union President Paul Blair.

“Allegedly Ramsey had asked to bring seven people. That would probably be all the top positions,” Blair said.

“The last thing this department needs is a complete overhaul.”

Bealefeld must now be appointed by the City Council, where Councilman Jack Young said he planned to ask the acting commissioner tough questions.

“I’m not going to automatically roll over,” he said. “... I want to know if we’re really making progress.”

Bealefeld said the successful reduction of robberies, assaults and other violent crimes has been ignored.

“Four of the last five years we’ve posted crime reductions,” Bealefeld said. “You know how many people believed it? Nobody. But they’re going to start believing. People are going to start noticing the good work happening in Baltimore when we get the murder rate under control.”

lbroadwater@baltimoreexaminer.com