Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills is preparing to leave his position and selling his home in the city, he announced on Thursday, March 19.

But Mills is not yet resigning or retiring. He said there's no date set for when he will leave the police department, and he just wanted to quell rumors and concerns for when people saw his house listed on the market Monday, March 23.

"I don't have an idea of when, but this is just a process to start preparing the department for a transition," he said. "So, whenever that does take place, it is smooth and seamless."

Palm Springs hired Mills on Oct. 12, 2021. Some major events he dealt with during his tenure include the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic bombing, protests like the No Kings rally against the Trump administration, and the collision that occurred when an officer lost control of his motorcycle during a holiday parade, crashing into and injuring attendees.

Mills said he came to his decision after working to prepare and establish people in their leadership positions.

"My assessment is, and I spoke with the city manager as well as council, that all these guys and gals in our department have really taken the leadership role seriously and are, in my opinion, ready to go," Mills said. "So now it becomes a matter of timing of when do I step out and what does that look like and I'm not ready yet. I'm not retiring. I'm not resigning."

The police chief shared the news with residents via a Facebook post, in which he said it is time to find his next mission.

"I have fire in my belly and passion in my heart to lead," he said in the social media post.

He told The Desert Sun that his next step not yet determined, but he isn't worried because there are plenty of opportunities and options for him.

This is a developing story.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs police chief preparing department for his resignation