Chief Drew R. Whitman grew up in Byron, Michigan. He settled in Panama City Beach while serving in the United States Air Force, while stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base. He joined the Panama City Beach Police Department as an auxiliary officer in 1989, and received his Criminal Justice Certification from Gulf Coast Community College during this time. In 1991, he became a full time officer after completing his four years with the Air Force, which included a tour of duty in Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He worked his way through the ranks of uniformed patrol achieving the rank of Captain on September 8, 2011.  On February 15, 2012 Chief Whitman took command of the department as Chief of Police.

          Chief Whitman is a 2004 graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigations National Academy, with the 219^th session. He is a member of the FBINAA, a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and a Master Mason.