Interim Oakland PD Chief Gets Permanent Position

On Wednesday, Oakland, Calif., Mayor Jean Quan announced that Sean Whent, an 18-year department veteran who was serving as interim chief, had won the job as Oakland PD 's permanent leader, reports the San Francisco Chronicle .

Whent, who competed against 27 candidates from across the country for the job, said he was pleased with the promotion.

"Oakland is a complex and colorful city full of possibilities, and the Oakland Police Department must play a key role in the success of the city," he said.

Whent, 39, is respected in the community and by city leaders as a no-nonsense commander who bluntly lays out the faults and successes of Oakland's Police Department. Whent is not, those close to him say, a showy chief eager for celebrity or a cowboy who wants to stop crime by strutting though the streets.