Interim Watertown City Manager John C. Krol formally announced Monday that Capt. Gary R. Comins has been appointed provisionally as police chief and Lt. Cheryl A. Clark has been promoted provisionally to captain.

The moves became necessary when Chief Joseph J. Goss retired Saturday after a 30-year career.

Chief Comins started his career with the city in June 1985 as a police officer and worked his way up to captain in July 2006. He is a 1974 graduate of Watertown High School and received an associate degree in criminal justice in 1977 from Jefferson Community College.

He must pass a civil service test to be permanently appointed chief; the test is scheduled for March.

Capt. Clark began her career as an officer in July 1986. In October 2006, she became the first woman to reach the rank of lieutenant on the force. She is a graduate of LaFargeville Central School, Jefferson Community College and Canton Agricultural and Technical College.

Mr. Krol also announced that Sgt. Charles P. Donoghue has been promoted to lieutenant. He is a 19-year veteran of the department, having begun his career as a police officer in 1993. He was promoted to detective in 2001 and to sergeant in 2005. His most recent assignment has been as training sergeant and police academy director.

Officer Mark W. Sutton has been promoted to sergeant. The 17-year employee began as an officer in 1994 and was appointed K-9 handler in 1996, a position he held until 2011. He is a state Division of Criminal Justice Services certified K-9 trainer and a department field training officer.

Thousands of readers like you have made Northern New York Newspapers the number one ranked website* for local news and sports coverage in the north country.

You can continue on to this article in a few seconds, or you can visit one of our websites:

• Watertown Daily Times
• The Ogdensburg Journal
• Daily Courier-Observer