COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Thirty-two officers with the Columbus Division of Police received promotions Friday.

The division welcomed 15 new deputy chiefs, four commanders, nine lieutenants, and four sergeants — who were part of the largest group of sworn-in personnel to be promoted at once in Columbus police history.

After four departures of veteran deputy chiefs in January, with more than 100 years of knowledge among them, Columbus police dealt with a number of vacancies. Those leaving also received a $500,000 buyout from the city.

This class has some of the youngest officers to be promoted to their new ranks, but Chief Bryant said she is confident in her choices. The four new deputy chiefs — Robert Sagle, Elrico Alli II, Nick Konves and Timothy Myers — said they are ready to take on the challenge.

“They have been ready for this, and they are absolutely ready to fill those rolls,” Bryant said.

Bryant said in addition to their time in their prior roles, they have also filled in after the four January departures.

“We are excited about what they are going to bring to these new roles,” Bryant said.

Sagle, a 22-year veteran of the division, is now the deputy chief for three different sections. Sagle said he knows he has big shoes to fill, looks forward to shaping the future of the division.

“We also have the ability to kind of define the role the way we see it, and the way we see it moving forward, which I think is an opportunity,” he said.

Sagle said he is thankful.

“Everyday I strive to be a better leader and a better person and everything, and so as I learn what my day-to-day is, I just want to make sure that I do it to the best of my abilities, so that the people I work around have confidence in me,” Sagle said.

Myers will now be the youngest deputy chief in history, and more than a dozen others who were promoted have less than a decade of experience with the division. But Bryant, once a new deputy chief herself, said she does not look at that as a bad thing.

“As you can see, I am here now,” Bryant said. “What you have is the ability to infuse new ideas, infuse new concepts, and be able to have that cultural shift that you are looking for.”

Columbus police have also struggled with recruitment in 2023, a common theme among other law enforcement agencies in the area. Recruiting has been an issue for police this year as well as other law enforcement agencies in the area.

Bryant said they did not promote to fill all the positions they were down, but they promoted to fill the positions they need.