SKOWHEGAN — Longtime Detective Daniel Summers was named deputy police chief by selectmen Tuesday night.

The vote was 5-0, with no discussion.

On hand for the vote and the swearing in by Town Clerk Gail Pelotte were Summers’ parents, Dave and Leila Summers, and his wife, Sandy. Eight members of the Police Department and some of their spouses also were present for the brief ceremony.

Summers said he was honored.

“He’s got nearly 24 years of dedicated service to this town and this department,” Police Chief Michael Emmons said before the vote. “Danny has proven himself time and time again. He’s knowledgeable, dedicated and a valuable asset to the department. He’s moved up through the ranks.”

Summers was selected by a panel of four law enforcement officials, including the police chiefs in Oakland and Gardiner, the deputy chief in Augusta and Assistant District Attorney Brent Davis.

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There were four finalists for the job of deputy chief, a position left vacant when Dale Lancaster left the department to become chief deputy of the Somerset County Sheriff’s Department.

Summers, 45, grew up in Skowhegan and graduated from the high school in 1985.

He was hired full time by the Skowhegan Police Department in October 1989 and completed training at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in 1990.

He was a patrol officer in Skowhegan until 1994, when he was promoted to detective and later patrol sergeant.

He was promoted to detective sergeant in 2007 and was named interim police chief in September during Emmons’ deployment to Southwest Asia with the Maine Air National Guard.

Summers worked as a resident agent for the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency from 2005-2011 and studied criminal justice at the University of Maine at Augusta.

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He served four years in the U.S. Air Force, recruited by Skowhegan’s current town manager, John Doucette Jr., who was the local recruiter at the time.

Emmons said he now will have to fill two detective positions in the department, with Summers moving up and detective Kelly Hooper assigned to the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency in Augusta.

He also will name a new community resource officer and hopes to hire one more patrol officer to round out the roster at the targeted 14 full-time police officers. There are six reserve officers and a part-time office secretary.

Summers’ duties as deputy chief will include making up patrol schedules, doing payroll, scheduling vehicle maintenance, administering grants and some disciplinary duties.

He starts today.

Doug Harlow — 612-2367
dharlow@centralmaine.com

 


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