Manteca has a new police chief and four additional officers today – three rehired after cuts to the force over two years ago.

Nick Obligacion, who had served as the motorcycle sergeant and an interim lieutenant, became the city’s new chief of police during badge-pinning ceremonies at 1 p.m. Monday in front of a packed house city council chambers.

Obligacion’s wife Sallie and daughters Annmarie and Ariel shared the honor of pinning a new badge on his uniform. Gregg Beall was elevated to the position of patrol sergeant and was formally pinned by his bubbly 10-year-old fourth-grade daughter Katie who later confessed she would like to be a lawyer someday when she gets out of college.

The new chief holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice Management from Union Institute and University. His 20 years as a Manteca police officer have included duties with the police K-9 unit, serving as SWAT team leader and being its tactical commander.

The four new officers were also pinned by their close family members.

Sgt. Beall was congratulated on his promotion by his dad Danny who had watched the ceremonies from his seat in the crowd. The elder Beall had been a Manteca officer and a member of the Department of Justice staff in his career. He said he had never encouraged his son to follow him in law enforcement, remembering when Gregg came out of the Navy he had said he was going into police work. Gregg Beall became an officer in Manteca early in 1999 – his goal since childhood, his dad said.

Last January he was honored with his department’s Meritorious Service Award for “heroically kicking in a door” of a Manteca home putting a stop to what was described as the repeated raping of a 30-year-old woman who had been kidnapped.

During his 13 years in law enforcement he has been a field training officer, a gang detective as well as serving as a general assignment detective.

Elliott Eichel lost his job as a Manteca officer in October of 2009. The next day he signed on as a reserve officer and two months later he became a booking officer paid on a day-by-day, per diem basis. Eichel is a combat veteran of the U.S. Army.

Eichel took the California High School Proficiency Exam at 14 and received his general education at Modesto Junior College with a total of four years in law enforcement.

Alan Shupperd was also laid off in October of 2009. He, too, signed on as a reserve officer, then moving his family to the Midwest where he worked briefly in construction. He soon returned to Manteca after hearing there was an opening for a community service officer. Seven months later he was laid off again because of the sagging economic picture.

A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Shupperd has some four years in law enforcement experience both active duty and reserve. He and his wife Tanya have four children. He has been coaching Little League for more than eight years. He graduated with honors from the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Regional Training Academy in 2008.

Lance Casqueiro first joined the Manteca Police Department in October 2007. He was with the group laid off in October 2009 and had also been a SWAT officer. He, too, signed up to be a police reserve officer and six months later became a community service officer at MPD. July 15 he resigned that post and went to the San Manteo Police Department. On January 16 of last year Manteca Police Department rehired him as a dispatcher where he was closer to home.

He has four years in law enforcement, having graduated from the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Training Academy in 2006. He and his wife Rozilyn have one daughter.

Josh Lewis had been assigned as a part-time police facility aide in August 2010 after working as an Explorer since September of 2008 with local officers. He signed on as a reserve officer in October of last year. He is currently working on his associates degree in the Administration of Justice.