For the first time in 22 years, newly minted police chief Matthew Mincone of West Tisbury is having to regularly set his morning alarm. Before his recent promotion, he worked the department’s 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. shift.

“I have a huge cup of coffee at my desk,” he told the Gazette by phone Monday morning. “Getting up in the morning is going to be an interesting thing for me.”

The new chief was selected to succeed Daniel Rossi with unanimous public support from within the department and with enthusiasm from other community leaders in the fire department, tri-town ambulance service, and the board of selectmen. Mr. Rossi, whom Mr. Mincone describes as a close friend, formally handed over the reigns last Friday.

Mr. Mincone said sitting in the chief’s office for the first time was surreal.

“Now I’ve held every rank this department has had,” he said. That includes a part-time patrol officer position in the summer of 1994, when Mr. Mincone was 25. He started as a full time officer in 1995.

Recently Mr. Mincone has been focused on receiving certification and accreditation for the department from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission. One of his first orders of business as chief will be meeting with each of the department’s nine officers individually. He said he also looks forward to having more flexibility in his schedule to be involved in the community.

“I like being out and about around town on patrols,” he said. “Now I have the luxury with my schedule to do that.”

Mr. Mincone’s promotion left a vacancy in the department’s lieutenant rank. Last week, West Tisbury selectmen confirmed Sgt. Jeffrey (Skipper) Manter 3rd to fill that position. Mr. Manter, who also serves as a selectman, recused himself from the vote.

“There isn’t a person in town that knows the town itself better than him,” said Mr. Mincone. “He knows the laws inside and out and knows how to apply them to the town.”

Mr. Manter is a familiar face in West Tisbury. In addition to serving on the board of selectmen and in the police department, Mr. Manter represents the town in other venues including the Up-Island Regional School District committee and the high school committee.

“I keep busy,” he told the Gazette after a high school committee meeting this week.  “I look forward to continuing to serve the people of West Tisbury to the best of my ability.”

Selectmen also appointed Jeremie Rogers, who formerly served as a part-time summer patrolman in West Tisbury and more recently has worked as a full-time officer in Tisbury, as a patrol officer.