In a ceremony on August 27, the Asheville Police Department issued 17 promotions to officers within the department. The ceremony, attended by family, fellow officers, Asheville Mayor Terry Bellamy and City of Asheville personnel, took place in the Ferguson Auditorium of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. The occasion marked the promotion of 14 officers to the rank of sergeant and three sergeants to the rank of lieutenant.
“This is an exciting day,” said Asheville Police Chief William Hogan. “As we move forward, there is a lot of leadership stepping up in the department.”
Hogan touched on the department’s dedication to its guiding principles of integrity, fairness, respect and professionalism. “I believe those guiding principles are the glue that holds us together,” Hogan said. “My heartfelt congratulations to all of you. I am proud of each and every one of you.”
Mayor Terry Bellamy oversaw the swearing in of the officers in their new roles, and thanked the officers on behalf of Asheville City Council. “We need individuals who will stand for the core values of the city and who will stand for what is right,” she said.
Asheville City Manager Gary Jackson noted that, while it had been several years since the last promotions within the department, the process resulted in exceptional candidates moving up in the department.
“We went through a process that made sure it would render the very best people in these seats,” Jackson said.
As each officer was named, family members joined them at the front of the auditorium to pin on his or her new badge. Those who were promoted to lieutenant also had pins attached to their collars by Chief Hogan.
The following officers were promoted to lieutenant:
Sgt. Mike Yelton
Sgt. Stony Gonce
Sgt. Bill Wilke
The following officers were promoted to sergeant:
Officer Steve Riddle
Det. Sean Aardema
Det. Mike Lamb
Officer Jay Spinda
Det. Janice Hawkins
Det. Jeff Peterson
Det. Joe Silberman
Officer Geoffrey Rollins
Officer Jonathan Brown
Officer Brett Maltby
Officer Dewayne Greene
Officer Joe Sorrells
Officer Don Eberhardt
Officer Mark Byrd
New APD recruits will begin police academy training in October, Hogan says.
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