SUMMIT, NJ — Summit Mayor Nora Radest officiated the promotion ceremonies for two members of the Summit Police Department in the City Hall courtyard on Thursday, March 9. Sgt. Jonathon Garcia was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and Officer Jeffrey Deets was promoted to the rank of sergeant.
Garcia grew up in Flemington and completed his undergraduate degree at William Paterson University, majoring in business management. After college, he worked in the small business division of AT&T and later as an auto repair mechanic alongside his father at their family-owned business in Westfield. After graduating from the Monmouth County Police Academy in 2007, he began his career in law enforcement as a police officer with the Summit Police Department. Garcia was assigned to the Patrol Bureau, where his duties included those of patrol officer, bike officer, radar instructor, firearms instructor and field training officer. He was promoted to the rank of sergeant in 2020. Garcia has served as the Summit Police Department liaison to the Union County Crisis Intervention Team, which provides safe and effective responses to individuals experiencing mental health crises and homelessness.
Deets grew up in Monmouth County and completed his undergraduate degree at Thomas Edison State University, majoring in business management. He began his career in law enforcement as an auxiliary police officer with the Summit Police Department in 2012. After graduating from the John H. Stamler Police Academy in 2013, Deets was assigned to the Summit Police Department Patrol Bureau. In 2017 he was transferred to the Traffic Unit and later became certified as a New Jersey crash investigator, alcotest operator, radar instructor and child passenger safety technician. In 2019, Deets received his Police Motorcycle Operator Certification and became one of the Summit Police Department’s two motorcycle officers. In 2022, he became the lead instructor for the department’s active shooter response training, as well as a certified firearms instructor. Deets was joined by his family at the promotion ceremony.
Photos Courtesy of Megan Trindell