Kevin Barton has a shiny new title.

The Oak Harbor Police Department recently promoted Barton from captain to the new position of deputy police chief.

This is a “big moment” for the department, Chief Tony Slowik announced at a council meeting Tuesday. The promotion is part of a departmental restructuring that has been about a year and a half of the planning and has been made possible because of the support from the mayor and the city council, he added.

Slowik illuminated why Barton earned the promotion.

“Capt. Barton, now Deputy Chief Barton, or soon to be, has been a tremendous asset to the police department,” he said. “Just in the year that he’s been here, we’ve already developed a five-year strategic plan. He’s been instrumental in deploying our professional development software, instrumental in our agency partnerships regionally and everything’s just going great. So, we really appreciate that.”

Barton’s wife, Christina, helped to pin the deputy chief’s button before he was sworn into his new role.

Those in attendance broke into applause for the new deputy chief. Barton accepted his new position with a short speech, acknowledging the honor of accepting the promotion.

“It truly is such a privilege to work alongside the dedicated men and women of the Oak Harbor Police Department. These people are amazing, and they give their best every day, serving this community with heart and passion,” Barton said.

He directed his gratitude to the residents of Oak Harbor, the city council and Mayor Ronnie Wright for their support towards the department.

“Your belief in our police department allows us to do our jobs with purpose, pride and a sense of community. I deeply appreciate the strong partnerships that we share, and they are essential to everything that we do,” Barton said.

Speaking directly to Slowik, he continued, “I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity to be a part of your leadership team. This has been an amazing experience thus far, and I look forward to continuing our work together and building this police department, not only to meet the needs of our community today but also prepare for the challenges that we’ll face tomorrow.”

Barton expressed his gratitude to his friends, mentors, his uncle Ron, in attendance and his family, who have encouraged him throughout his career.

“My successes could not have been achieved without you, and I’m forever grateful. I love you guys,” Barton said to his wife and two daughters.

“As I step into this role, I do it with humility, determination and a deep commitment to our city,” he added.

As part of the efforts to restructure the department, the chief also created two lieutenant positions that are in the process of being filled.