ROCKLAND — Rockland Police Department’s former Deputy Chief Christopher Young’s voice struggled as he thanked members of his department, as well as the community, for 23 great years.

“Without all of you here, I wouldn’t be here tonight,” Young said. “Your guidance, your mentorship, your friendship, your support through my last 23 years have been instrumental to getting me here. And I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart.”

Young isn’t going anywhere. The City-related meetings he’s attended jointly with Chief Bruce Boucher in recent months have culminated into one moment, Monday, Oct. 1, in City Council Chambers.

In 2015, Young took over the position of deputy chief following the retirement of Wally Towers. Now, he is filling retiring Chief Bruce Boucher’s seat as head of Rockland PD.

Family, friends, co-workers, and council members acknowledged that transition during the October 1 agenda-setting meeting.

Uniforms of local, county, and state law enforcement lined the walls, along with uniforms of the local fire department, in recognition of a personal background deep and diverse within the policing field.

Councilor Amelia Magjik recognized how much Young cares about Rockland, “And how much of his heart and soul he puts into his job,” she said.

“I don’t think he views this as a job,” she said. “I think this is who he is.”

Young, a native of the area, started patrolling Rockland’s streets in 1996.

Since then, he’s generated experience within field training, detecting, crisis intervention, bicycle patrol and harbor patrol.

He is also a certified Maine Criminal Justice Academy Instructor.

City Manager Tom Luttrell said what he’d told Young during the process of becoming chief: “He’s got some big shoes to fill. He said, not a problem. I wear a size 11.”

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com