Nashville Mayor John Cooper on Monday chose John Drake to serve as the city's next police chief, siding with a homegrown candidate whose decades of experience inside the department shaped his approach to law enforcement.

Cooper is expected to announce his selection this afternoon, but multiple sources the Tennessean that Drake had secured the job.

Drake beat out four outside finalists to succeed his mentor Steve Anderson, who left the police department under criticism this summer. Cooper's decision, made after a month of deliberation.

Drake, 56, has been with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department for 32 years, and has long been seen as a likely pick for the top job. He spent years as a deputy chief, and took over as interim chief in August after Anderson resigned.