Two C.P. police officers promoted to sergeant

CROWN POINT | Len Homola, a 37-year police veteran and the department's operations commander, was among five officers to win promotion on Wednesday.

Homola, and Todd Carey, a shift supervisor with 15 years in the department, both were promoted to sergeant.

Patrol division officers Mile Knezevic, a 10-year veteran, and Lloyd Eldridge, a canine officer with nine years with the department, both were promoted to corporal.

Detective Larry Scott, a nine-year veteran, also was promoted to corporal.

The officers bring a total 80 years of law enforcement experience, Chief Pete Land said.

"They are very well prepared," Land said.

Testing, scoring and ranking used in the promotion process were handled by the Institute for Public Safety and Personnel and were based on oral interviews, seniority, attendance, discipline, education and military experience, police officials said.

The promotions filled vacancies in the ranks created last year by retirements from the force and were needed to fill supervisory roles within the department, Land said in a prepared release.

The promotions were approved on Wednesday by the city's Board of Public Works and Safety.

The board also approved a request from Land to replace two 2006 police motorcycles used by the department.

Low bidder for the replacement motorcycles was Calumet Harley-Davidson, Munster, with a unit price of $14,594 each. The cost to the department for the two vehicles, counting trade-in value, will be $16,782, Land said.