A King will lead the State College police force.

On Monday, Thomas King will replace Elwood Williams as the new chief of the State College Bureau of Police Services.

The official announcement was made by Borough Manager Peter Marshall at 4 p.m. yesterday. King said he had been informed an hour earlier and had known the final decision was between him and State College Police Lt. Carmine Prestia.

"It was narrowed down to the two of us and we realized it was going to be a close call," King said.

King said he considers Prestia an essential part of the police force and will look to him for input in the future.

Marshall chose the new police chief and said the choice was a difficult one. The decision was not based on a single characteristic, Marshall said.

"It was just a correlation of good qualities," he said.

Marshall said he selected a State College police officer to fill the position because there was "sufficient talent in-house to continue the direction of State College police."

King, 34, is currently a patrol supervisor. He is pursuing a master's degree in public administration.

King said he will consult various department officials before making any decisions about the direction he will take the department.

He did say he would make changes regarding the application process and restructuring work hours.

"I'm not talking about turning the organization upside down," King said, adding that he plans to continue the community involvement programs Williams began.

"We need to make sure we are listening to the community and what their concerns are," King said. But State College still needs some "traditional policing," he said.

King said wants to focus on problems specific to State College, adding that these problems include rental conversion and deterioration of neighborhoods. One of the biggest issues that must be dealt with is the relationship between students and permanent residents, he said.

"We need to find a way to bring those two groups together," King said.

King will have to prepare diligently for his takeover Monday, but yesterday there was time for celebration as people lined up to congratulate him after the news conference.

"There's just no expressing in words the feeling I have," King said.