Marion Police Lt. Richard Nighelli will succeed Chief John Garcia when Garcia retires in January.

Town Administrator Jay McGrail, the Marion Board of Selectmen and the Marion Police Department made the announcement this week.

Nighelli began his career in 1999 as a police officer with the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health in Boston. He became a patrolman with the Nantucket Police Department in 2002 before being hired as a patrolman with the Marion Police Department in 2003. In Marion, he was promoted to sergeant in 2007 and to lieutenant in January 2018.

Nighelli managed the department's state re-accreditation process in 2018 and previously served as operations commander for the Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council SWAT team. SEMLAC is a mutual aid consortium comprised of resources from the police departments of 30 cities and towns.

"Lt. Nighelli has been a dedicated member of the Marion Police Department for the past 17 years of his career," said Board of Selectmen Chair Randy Parker. "We are confident that he is an excellent fit for the position and we look forward to having him lead the department for many years to come."

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