A 16-year veteran of the town’s police force was recently promoted to sergeant, filling a vacancy created due to another internal promotion.

Selectmen approved the promotion of Marion Police Officer Jeffrey Habicht to be the town police department's newest sergeant, effective Aug. 26.

Habicht was one of five members of the department who applied for the job.

“Recently, our department had an interview process to fill a sergeant's vacancy,” Marion Police Lt. Richard Nighelli said to Selectmen in introducing Habicht at the board's Aug. 21, meeting. “This promotion will fill the vacant sergeant's position, which was vacated when I was promoted to lieutenant.”

Of the 16 years Habicht has been with the Marion Police Department, seven of those years were as a full-time officer. Habicht holds a bachelor's degree from the State University of New York at Cortland, and a master's degree from Canisius College.

Habicht is presently a Massachusetts Police Training Council Instructor for First Responder and CPR.

He was previously director of Marion EMS.

Nighelli said Habicht has certified members of the police department in CPR for the past seven years.

“If a department member has saved someone's life by using CPR, or other lifesaving techniques, including Narcan, even if Officer Habicht was not physically on the scene, his presence was felt through effective instruction,” Nighelli said.

“Officer Habicht has demonstrated a working knowledge of the law and direct supervisor, Sgt. (Marshall) Sadeck speaks very highly of him,” Nighelli said. “Officer Habicht will be a great addition to our command staff.” Selectmen unanimously approved Habicht's promotion with a one-year probationary period.