Marblehead board names acting police lt.

MARBLEHEAD – Selectmen have named Patrolman Nick Economou an acting lieutenant.The vote was 3-0, with Selectmen Chairman Harry Christensen and Selectmen William Woodfin and Judy Jacobi all in favor. Selectmen Jackie Belf-Becker and James Nye were absent.The board members were enthusiastic about the promotion. Last year Economou missed out on a promotion to sergeant. Woodfin and Jacobi both supported him then, but the other three members supported seven-year officer Jason Conrad, who had the highest score on the Civil Service exam and a favorable recommendation from Police Chief Robert Picariello.”I think it’s his turn,” Jacobi said at that time.Christensen said, “This may be Nick’s time but I’m going to follow the chief’s recommendation.”Economou is a 31-year veteran of the department.Wednesday night Economou received a recommendation from Picariello, who was represented at the meeting by Acting Captain Mark Mills. When selectmen appointed Mills to his temporary spot, pending a Civil Service exam, the promotion created an opening for an acting lieutenant.The board also named a new full-time police officer, filling the spot created when former Patrolman Chad Collins transferred to Lowell last year.New Patrolman Andrew Clark is transferring to Marblehead from Medfield. The hiring will take effect May 4 and he will start at Step 4 on the patrolman’s salary scale.Clark has worked in Medfield for four years and said he enjoyed community-oriented police work like speaking at public schools.His wife, a Beverly native, owns a business in Hamilton and he has been looking for a transfer to the North Shore, making Marblehead “a perfect fit.”