Bay City Tribune

Five dedicated officers of the Bay City Police Department were promoted to the rank of corporal at City Hall on Monday, Nov. 16, marking the institution of the rank within the department.

Cpl. Richard Morales, Cpl. Keith Hatton, Cpl. Irene Kjergaard, Cpl. Richard Alvarado Jr. and Detective Cpl. Tommy Lytle will assist the department by taking on supervisory roles.

"This will go a long way for us to always have a supervisor on duty," said Police Chief Roger Barker. Barker congratulated each of the officers, lauding their service and achievements to a crowd of residents and family members.

Morales is a father of five and a grandfather of four with a long history of service in law enforcement.

He worked as a military police officer in the United States Marine Corps, a K-9 handler for the Sweeny Police Department, and served as a deputy for the Matagorda County Sheriff's Office for fourteen years.

Hatton began working as a reserve officer for BCPD in 1996 and became a full-time officer in 2000.

In 2005 he left the department to work in Iraq for 26 months, then returned to full duty with the department in January 2008.

Hatton was voted Public Safety Officer of the Year in 2005 and 2008 and received the Life Saving Merit Award in 2009.

Kjergaard served in the Army National Guard for two years before transferring to the Army Ready Reserves where she served until 1999. She has served as an officer for the El Campo and Rosenberg police departments.

Kjergaard has worked for the Bay City Police Department for the past 11 years in the patrol division, communications, and the crime scene unit.

Alvarado attended Victoria College Police Academy where he received the award of Top Gun for firearms qualifications.

He has worked for the Bay City Police Department since 2006, serving as a member of the BCPD SWAT Unit and Gang Unit and as an undercover narcotics officer. He is currently a field-training officer.

Lytle's career in law enforcement began in 1971. He has served a patrol officer for the Victoria Police Department and the Bay City Police Department.

He transferred to the detective unit in 1996, where he serves as the senior investigator. He is also the BCPD firearms and range instructor.