Dan Pater was sworn in as sergeant of the Forest Park Police Department at the Sept. 24 village council meeting.
Mayor Anthony Calderone administered the oath of office to Pater, 33, in front of more than 50 family members, friends and fellow officers, including former Police Chief Jim Ryan.
With his promotion, Pater, who has been with the department for 12 years, will be assigned to a patrol shift as a watch commander.
“We must have the entire department here,” Calderone said. “Is anybody watching the streets?”
Pater joined the department after serving for six years in the U.S. Army. He has spent the past 7½ years as a tactical officer in the criminal investigations unit. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Lewis University in Lockport and is working toward a master’s degree, also at Lewis.
“I won’t let you down,” he told Calderone after taking the oath.
He replaces Sgt. Eric Bell, who had been unable to work since suffering a “significant” shoulder injury while on duty in October 2016, and filed for duty disability last year.
