ORONO – Experience, professionalism, and strong work ethics led to the recent promotion of two members of the Orono Police Department, according to the police chief.Capt. Gary Duquette of Old Town was officially promoted last week after the resignation of Capt. Linwood Green, who served the department for 15 years.

“[Duquette] places a high value on the professionalism of the department,” Orono police Chief Bob O’Halloran said Thursday.

Duquette attended the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Waterville. He was a member of the Waterville Police Department for less than a year before coming to Orono, where he has been for the last 11 years.

“[Police work] was absolutely something I always had an interest in,” the captain said Thursday. “It gets in your blood.”

Before his promotion, Duquette was a patrol sergeant and also served as the department’s training coordinator and supervisor. Some of those duties now will be handed over to Sgt. Scott Wilcox.

Wilcox also was recently promoted. He has been with the department more than four years and most recently served as a detective. Wilcox, of Hampden, also attended the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Waterville and did very well in the 20-week program there, according to the police chief.

“[Wilcox] is just a consummate professional,” Duquette said.

Both men, who are police academy-certified instructors and field training officers, also share a vision and philosophy of police work similar to that of their supervisor, Halloran said. That will be an asset to the already competent police department, the chief said.