New Sag Harbor Sergeant

The Sag Harbor Village Police Department, once again, has two sergeants in the ranks. Robert F. Drake, a full-time village police officer for 14 years, was newly minted at a village board meeting on Tuesday evening.

By unanimous vote, Mr. Drake was promoted to sergeant in front of a group of his family and friends. Sergeant Drake thanked the village board — an entity with which his department has, in the past, had an acrimonious relationship — and Thomas Fabiano, the chief of the department, who hired him in February 2001. “My family and I are very grateful for this opportunity,” he said.

Chief Fabiano also thanked the board later in the meeting for the promotion, as the department has been down a sergeant since his brother, Paul Fabiano, left the department a year ago. (His official retirement only came recently due to accrued vacation and sick time.) “I don’t doubt he’ll do an excellent job for us,” the chief said.

By phone yesterday morning, the chief said Sergeant Drake is always attentive to his work, always eager to learn and be involved in different aspects of the department, and possesses leadership skills. “He knows basically how do everything in the department,” Chief Fabiano said. He has been a past recipient of the police officer of the year award.

Sergeant Drake will join Sgt. Thomas Pagano in supervising the department of 10, which includes Detective Jeff Proctor and seven police officers. However, the department is still not back to the level of leadership it once had. The position of lieutenant and executive officer was never filled after the retirement of Thomas X. Mackey in 2009.

There are no immediate plans to replace Sergeant Drake as a police officer, though the chief said he would love to fill the position. “I’m just happy to get a sergeant and take small steps to rebuild,” he said. Sergeant Drake will receive $121,012 per year, $13,112 more than he received as an officer.