Highland Heights Makes Police Department Appointments

Highland Heights police department has a new patrolman and an officer has been promoted to sergeant.

At Tuesday's City Council meeting, Mayor Scott Coleman announced that Joseph Stella was being promoted to sergeant to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Detective Gary McKee.

Police Chief James Cook said Stella has been on the force for 8 1/2 years and serves as the field training officer, training new hires. He graduated from the University of Akron in 1997 with a bachelor's degree in law enforcement and served six years with the Akron Police Department.

Stella has also served as the department's crisis intervention officer since being trained in 2001.

"He's an excellent officer and he'll make an excellent addition as sergeant," Cook said.

Filling the position vacated by Stella will be Patrolman Andrew Lessick, who was hired in November 2009 as a reserve officer. He has an associate degree in law enforcement and was a police officer in Richmond Heights from 2005 to 2009.

"He's done an excellent job," Cook said.