Three officers with the Sands Point Police Department received promotions on Tuesday morning at the Village Club in Sands Point.
Tom Ruehle was promoted from lieutenant to chief of the Police Department after former Police Chief Richard Lertora retired earlier this month.
Ruehle has been with the Sands Point Police Department since 1997. He was promoted to the position of lieutenant when Lertora left the position after his promotion to chief in August 2015.
Some of Ruehle’s many certifications include firearms instructor, juvenile officer and police instructor.
Trustee Mark Silbert, who doubles as chief police commissioner for Sands Point, officiated at the swearing-in of the three officers.
Silbert commended Ruehle on his achievement of establishing a school resource program at Guggenheim Elementary School that “still thrives to this day.”
Ruehle is also a three-time recipient of the Nassau County Police Chief’s Distinguished Service Award, having been recognized in 2000 and twice in 2006.
In a speech after he was sworn in, Ruehle said: “I thank you for this tremendous honor of an opportunity. I thank you for the trust you put in me and my guys. Please know that the village is in very good hands.”
To his fellow officers, who were all there except for one who was “surfing the desk” and another who was “surfing the Caribbean,” Ruehle said, “With your help, we will continue to make Sands Point one of the finest places to live everywhere.”
Donald Tag was promoted to the rank of lieutenant from sergeant to serve in Ruehle’s old
post. He joined the department in April 1994 and was promoted to sergeant in June 2012.
He currently serves as the department’s computer operations director and is a certified juvenile officer with the state.
In 2001, Tag received the Nassau County Police Chief’s Distinguished Service Award.
Tag’s former rank of sergeant will be filled by Brian Meadows, who was promoted from the rank of officer.
Meadows joined the department in October 2005, and prior to that served with the New York City Police Department since 1997. He worked out of the 113th Precinct in Jamaica, where he did three years on patrol and five years in the Burglary Apprehension Unit.
He was the recipient of the Nassau County Police Chief’s Distinguished Service Award in 2010.
Sands Point Mayor Ed Adler, who opened the ceremony, said, “It is more than just a promotion ceremony because actively we are honoring these three men for the exceptional job that they do for our exceptional Sands Point Police Department.”
