For the first time in 12 years, Charleston has a new police chief.
Lt. Steve Cooper, who served as chief of detectives for the department, is replacing now-retired Charleston Police Chief Brent Webster.
Webster had been chief since 2005.
Cooper has served as active police chief since 4 p.m. Friday. He'll be officially sworn in Tuesday night during a city council meeting.
Webster's next step - taking over the city's Public Works department. Webster's first day at Public Works is Tuesday. He takes over the department from Gary Taylor, who retired last week.
Webster is taking a pay cut as he assumes the public works position, according to data from the City of Charleston. He will be paid an annual salary of $104,000 - about ten thousand less than what he made as police chief. It's $2,000 more than Taylor's former salary.
Cooper will make $114,000 annually.
Cooper and Webster have known each other for their entire police careers, meeting in police academy in the early 1990s. They've worked alongside each other for their entire careers, working shootings and homicides together as detectives.
Webster named Cooper Chief of Detectives soon after his appointment as chief.
"We've traveled these roads together side by side, and we've been through quite a bit together," Cooper said. "I'm honored to have worked for Chief Brent Webster."
When Webster told Cooper in July that he planned to retire, Cooper said he got emotional.
"It was almost like finding out that your best friend was transferring to another school in the middle of the summer," Cooper joked during a speech at Webster's retirement ceremony.
They plan to consult and collaborate with each other in their new roles. Cooper said he plans on maintaining a "customer service" culture that Webster created within the department - assuring that people are pleased by the actions the police department takes by treating people decently.
Mayor Danny Jones applauded Webster, and said that he created a culture of positivity within the department and the city. Several other speakers at the reception called Webster fair, looking out for the city rather than making selfish decisions.
"You have to be fair because it tears down the fabric of what we stand for if you are perceived as unfair or you are doing selfish, impulsive things, so I'm proud of that," Webster said.
Webster, who said in July that he chose the public works position over opportunities in the private sector, said staying in public service was important to him.
"I'm glad he's staying with the city, because he's only gotten sharper and he's only gotten better," Jones said.