Peter Newsham is officially the new chief of police for Washington, D.C.

After several hearings, D.C. Council confirmed Newsham in a 12-1 vote Tuesday.

Newsham has been with the Metropolitan Police Department since 1989 and worked his way through the ranks. He was promoted to assistant chief in 2002 and oversaw a number of different offices. Most recently, Newsham was named assistant chief of the Investigative Services Bureau in 2008.

He has a bachelor's degree from the College of the Holy Cross and a law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law, according to MPD's website. He is also a member of the Maryland Bar.

Newsham often served as the public face of the department during major investigations. He was appointed interim chief Sept. 15 after former Police Chief Cathy Lanier announced her retirement.

Lanier accepted a position as senior vice president of security for the NFL. She had served in MPD for 26 years.