Groton — Town police promoted two officers Sunday, Officer Nicholas Parham to the rank of sergeant and Officer Matthew Hammerstrom to detective, according to a statement from the department.

Parham grew up in Groton, attended St. Bernard High School and graduated from Nichols College in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in criminal justice.

He was hired by the Groton Town Police Department in 2005 and has served as a community police officer in the Poquonnock Bridge section of town for two years, instituting a Neighborhood Watch program in the Ring Drive area. He also served on assignments with the Statewide Narcotics Task Force — Eastern Division and the Groton Narcotics Task Force. Parham is a trained crisis negotiator and a field training officer.

Hammerstrom attended Fitch High School and graduated from Southern Connecticut State University in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

He was hired as a patrol officer in 2005 and is a member of the department’s dive team. He has past experience as an acting detective and graduated in 2011 at the top of his class from the New England Polygraph Institute. He and his wife Lindsey were married in 2013.