By Brandi Makuski

Tony Babl was formally promoted to assistant police chief on Tuesday, a move which brings a long holding pattern to resolution within SPPD. 

Babl, 45, has been with the department in 1993, has held many positions in the city’s police department, including patrol, detective and supervisor of the detective bureau, SWAT commander and police liaison officer at SPASH. He was promoted to interim assistant chief in April.

Babl will be sworn in by City Clerk John Moe at a 4 PM ceremony on Dec. 2. Police Chief Marty Skibba will also be sworn in during the same ceremony.

Babl lives with his family in Stevens Point.

Babl awaits his final interview outside the meeting room of the Police and Fire Commission on Tuesday. (City Times photo)

Wednesday’s swearing-in ceremony will bring to a close a long period of “wait and see” within the upper ranks of the Stevens Point Police Department. Former Chief Kevin Ruder left a vacancy when he retired in April, but due to accrued vacation time and sick leave he remained on the payroll for several months, leaving the Police and Fire Commission unable to formally search for his replacement. That search began in August and yielded four finalists, including Skibba.

PFC President Gary Wescott said he was confident the transition for both Skibba and Babl would be “a smooth one”, since both have been with the department a long time.

The swearing-in ceremony will be held in Conference rooms A and B of the police department, 1516 Church Street.