Augusta Police, which recently changed its structure, has announced a number of promotions and new hires.

Deputy Chief Jared Mills said the department has promoted or transferred six officers and hired three additional officers in recent months.

In restructuring its organization, Mills said, the department combined the records and communication division with the former Criminal Investigation Division into a division now known as support services. The investigation division is now known as the Bureau of Investigations, which has four detectives. Lt. Christopher Read, commander of the records and communications division, is still in charge of communications, but falls under the authority of support services.

The restructuring was recommended by an International Association of Chiefs of Police study released in 2011, Mills said.

“We’ve made them one division that’s called support services to the patrol division,” Mills said.

Lt. Christopher Massey, who formally was a watch commander for the patrol division, has been appointed to command the support services division. He essentially replaces former Lt. Keith Brann, who retired last month.

Massey, who joined Augusta Police in 1996, worked as a detective and was an agent with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency from 2003 to 2006. He was promoted to lieutenant in 2011 to serve as watch commander in the patrol division, a position he held until he was recently appointed to command support services.

Lt. Kevin Lully has been appointed to command the patrol division, Mills said. Lully, who joined the department in 1995, has been a watch commander in the patrol division since 2007.

Mills also announced a host of other changes.

• Sgt. Jason Cote, who was promoted to the rank of patrol sergeant in December of 2013, has been selected to serve as a detective sargent with the Bureau of Investigations. Cote, who replaces former Detective Sgt. Matt Clark, who resigned earlier this year, has worked with the department since 1998. Cote was transferred to the detectives’ division in 2006 where he worked until his promotion to sergeant.

• Eric Lloyd was promoted in June to patrol sergeant. Hired in 2006, Lloyd has worked as a patrol officer on all three shifts.

• Scott Harris was promoted earlier this month to patrol sergeant. Hired in 1999, Harris has worked as a patrol officer on all three shifts.

• Eric DosSantos was transferred in February from the patrol division to Bureau of Investigations. Hired in 2006, DosSantos has worked as a patrol officer on all three shifts. DosSantos is a captain with the Maine Army National Guard and has done two tours in Afghanistan.

• Carly Smith has been transferred to Cony High School where she will serve as the school resource officer. Smith has worked as a patrol officer since she was hired in 2012.

• Robert Mathieu was hired this month to work as a patrol officer. Mathieu is still a student at Husson University in Bangor who will graduate in May 2015. Mathieu will go through the department’s Police Training Officer Program before beginning the 19-week Basic Law Enforcement Training Program in January at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro.

• Desmond Nutter, who also will graduate in May from Husson University, was hired this month as a patrol officer. Nutter is currently going through the basic training program at the criminal justice academy.

• Kyle Sheridan, who worked as an intern with Augusta Police while attending Thomas College in 2013, was hired in May as a patrol officer. Sheridan is set to attend the basic training program at the criminal justice academy in January.

Craig Crosby — 621-5642

ccrosby@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @CraigCrosby4