T-R PHOTOS BY ROBERT MAHARRY - Tom Watson, right, was sworn in by Judge Bethany Currie, left, as the Marshalltown Police Department’s newest lieutenant at the combined police/fire station on Wednesday morning.

A month to the day after former Lt. Sadie Weekley moved up to the position of Captain in the Marshalltown Police Department, Class of 1998 Marshalltown High School graduate and 21-year MPD veteran Tom Watson was officially promoted to lieutenant and sworn in by Judge Bethany Currie on Wednesday morning.

Watson said he first took an interest in police work as a high school student, and now that he is one of the most experienced officers on the force, he relishes the opportunity to mentor newcomers and show them the ropes.

“It’s an exciting time right now,” he said. “(The lieutenant job) is just a little more supervisory responsibility. You have a little more hands on with supervisor roles.”

After he was sworn in, Lt. Watson, front and center, posed for a photo with his MPD colleagues at the police/fire station on Wednesday morning.

The new lieutenant feels the MPD has the best officers around who are well trained and prepared to perform their duties to the best of their abilities, and he looks forward to working with the next generation of future department leaders. Chief Chris Jones, whose tenure with the MPD stretches back almost three decades, described Watson as “a great officer” who has had a storied career and carried out a wide range of assignments during his 21 years.

“(He’s) very well respected with the patrol division and detectives. I’m really excited for him. I’m excited for him and his family. Courtney, his wife, is a crime scene specialist for us, and both of them have been a huge part of the success of our agency, and we’re excited for them,” Jones said.

Jones added that some of the qualifications that set Watson apart were the diversity of his experiences, his successes with the K9 unit and investigations, the relationships he’s built with other members of the MPD staff and his propensity to get things done.

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.