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Courtesy photo Kingston Police Officer Michael Pierce was promoted to the rank of sergeant on January 14. He has eight years of police experience.
On January 14, Kingston Police Chief John Bridgeman presented the Kingston Town Council the possibility of promoting officer Michael Pierce from patrol officer to sergeant. The council deliberated in Executive Session and approved the promotion.
The council must discuss, and deliberate and either approve or deny any personnel changes to the police force because it directly affects the town’s budget.
Pierce is 45 years old and married with five children and three grandchildren.
He has been a police officer for eight years with two of those years being with the Kingston Police Department.
He started out as a reserve officer in 2018 and was made full-time in May 2019.
Going from reserve officer to a full-time officer then to sergeant in less than two years might seem like a daunting task.
However, Pierce sailed through it because of his experience.
Pierce served in the Navy after high school, then worked at Anchor Glass for some time. Once he realized he needed something more challenging, he opted to become a police officer.
He began at the Okmulgee Jail as a Detention Officer, then became a Dewar Police Officer. This is where his experience really took form. He was Chief of Police for approximately six months.
Apparently going through police training once was not enough for Pierce, because he became a federal police officer for the Veterans Affairs. To be a federal officer, the recruit must make it through the federal police training.
He also became CLEET (Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training) certified. Pierce became a Kingston reserve officer while working for the VA.
Once his tenure turned from police duties to sitting behind a desk, Pierce decided he missed the excitement of being a patrol officer.
Kingston Police Chief John Bridgeman caught wind of this and suggested to the town council to hire him as a fulltime officer.
Obviously, they agreed the first time, as well.
Pierce has various accolades to be proud of, however, he is a modest guy and does not like the fanfare that comes with awards – this is the main reason he did not get a pinning ceremony.
One of his accomplishments that he has proud of is he is CERT (Correctional Emergency Response Team) certified.
Kingston Assistant Police Chief Chris Watson said he agrees with Bridgeman and the council’s decision.
“Sergeant Pierce is an outstanding officer and we know he will be a great asset to the Kingston Police Department as a split shift supervisor,” Watson said. “Sergeant Pierce is an officer that has a lot to offer in law enforcement and is more than willing to share his knowledge with his fellow officers.”