Three members of the Suffolk Police Department celebrated promotions with family, other department members and city officials on Tuesday night.

Of significant note is the fact that all three either are retired from the military or have served deployments during their employment with Suffolk Police when their reserve units were activated.

“Anyone what wears a uniform of any type is truly our hero,” Mayor Linda T. Johnson said of the three promotees and the multiple uniforms they have worn. “If we do not feel safe in our homes and on our roads and in our schools and wherever we are, there is no quality of life. We are so very proud of you. We owe you everything we can possibly do for you.”

Police Chief Thomas Bennett gave the three several tips on supervising. He advised them to maintain their honesty and integrity, not to be afraid of making decisions, to set the tone for their shift, to address issues quickly and to be there for their people.

Lt. John McCarley was deployed in the Middle East with the U.S. Air Force in September 2014 when he was officially promoted, so he is only now celebrating it.

He was hired by the Suffolk Police Department in 2002 and assigned to uniform patrol. In 2004, he was appointed as a detective and transferred to criminal investigations. He worked numerous homicide investigations before being assigned to the Youth and Family Services section of the bureau in 2007. In 2010, he was promoted to sergeant and made a uniform patrol supervisor. In 2011, he was transferred to the Office of Professional Standards and began conducting internal affairs investigations. He now will be assigned as a watch commander within the Second Precinct.

Lt. David Heroux was hired by the Suffolk Police Department in 2006 after retiring from a 24-year career in the U.S. Air Force. He served four years in uniform patrol, receiving numerous qualifications including field training officer, general instructor, evidence technician and speed measurement operator. In 2011, he was selected as an inaugural member of the Special Operations Division’s traffic unit. That same year he was promoted to sergeant and served as a uniform patrol supervisor. In 2014, he was selected as an acting lieutenant, then officially promoted to lieutenant in January 2015. He now is a watch commander within the First Precinct.

Sgt. Jason Lyons was hired by the Suffolk Police Department in 204. He worked uniform patrol until his 2005 deployment to Iraq with the United States Marine Corps. When he returned in 2006, he was assigned to the newly formed Neighborhood Enforcement Team, the city’s gang unit. In 2010, he was appointed as an investigator and transferred to the Special Investigations Unit, where he worked numerous drug and vice related crimes. In January 2015, he was promoted to sergeant and now serves as a uniform patrol supervisor.