After Ellsworth’s previous top cop was fired, the local police department has continued a wave of promotions to top command positions, with three existing members just attaining higher ranks. The promotions continue a larger trend of change in the city’s top leadership ranks in recent months.
David Lord, who has been with the department for two years, has become its new captain, third in command behind the chief and deputy chief. Lord’s promotion was announced Monday on the department’s Facebook page.
Lord previously worked for the Brewer Police Department for 14 years, serving in the rank of sergeant for nine, according to a bio on Ellsworth’s city website. More recently, he worked as a patrol deputy for the Hancock County sheriff’s department and, through that role, as an agent with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency. He joined the Ellsworth department in 2022.
Two other members who were promoted and sworn in on Monday were Kelvin Mote to the rank of sergeant and McKay McLean to the rank of corporal. Mote, a longtime Army reservist, previously served as corporal with the department while McLean was a patrol officer.
Troy Bires, who has worked for the Ellsworth department for 34 years, was hired as the department’s new chief in July, after serving as deputy chief and then interim chief. He assumed the top post in March, after the City Council fired previous chief Glenn Moshier, who also had been serving in the dual role of Ellsworth’s city manager.
Shawn Willey, who previously served as captain, was promoted to deputy chief in August.
The police chief and city manager positions had been combined in 2020 by a previous City Council, after Ellsworth had difficulty recruiting a new manager to replace David Cole, who resigned that August.
But after residents repeatedly raised objections about combining the two positions, city officials decided to separate them again. Charlie Pearce, who was hired after Moshier was fired, has been Ellsworth’s city manager since April.
