After going without a permanent police chief for more than five months, the Charleston Police Department now has a new leader. Scott Dempsey removes his interim title and takes on the role of chief. Charleston Mayor Amy Goodwin said during a news conference Friday afternoon she wanted to make sure the new chief would work well with officers and with the community. Dempsey has has served the department for more than 20 years and kept a supervisor role for 12 years. As the first order of business, Dempsey named Jason Webb as his deputy chief. Dempsey accepted the leadership role after former Chief James “Tyke” Hunt resigned in August. The search for a new chief drew more than two dozen candidates whose names were kept confidential.