Three Rockville Centre police officers were promoted during the village’s Board of Trustees meeting at Village Hall, as family members, colleagues and village officials gathered to recognize their service and leadership within the department.
Matthew Vickery was promoted to inspector, filling the role previously held by retired Inspector Chris Romance. Noz Firoz was elevated to lieutenant, and Michael Farrell was promoted to sergeant. Police Commissioner A. Randy Dodd introduced each officer with a detailed overview of their careers before administering the oath of office.
“Tonight’s one of my favorite nights, because tonight we promote,” Dodd said during the March 2 meeting. “In our 56-officer department, promotions are rare. There’s no room to hide. There’s no easy ladder to climb. When you earn a stripe or a bar here, you fought for it. You proved yourself. You’ve outworked your peers and earned the trust of this agency.”
Vickery, a West Islip native, graduated from Clarke High School before earning a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Northeastern University. He began his law enforcement career with the New York Police Department in 2005, assigned to the 79th Precinct in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.
He joined the Rockville Centre Police Department in 2008, serving alongside his father, Mike, a 40-year department veteran. Promoted to sergeant in 2015, Vickery supervised night tour patrol officers before advancing to lieutenant in 2021. He later served as commanding officer of patrol and then support services, overseeing the department’s training unit, before being named executive officer and now inspector.
Firoz began his policing career with the NYPD, serving from 1997 to 2002 in Queens Transit Patrol. He joined the Rockville Centre Police Department in 2002 and steadily rose through the ranks, earning promotion to sergeant in 2019.
As a night-shift patrol supervisor, he has been responsible for overseeing patrol operations and mentoring officers in the field while supporting daily public safety operations throughout the village.
Farrell graduated from Patchogue-Medford High School and attended St. John’s University and Stony Brook University before joining the NYPD in 2005. After graduating from the police academy, he was assigned to the 109th Precinct in Queens and was promoted to sergeant in 2012, later serving in Brooklyn’s 67th Precinct.
Farrell joined the Rockville Centre Police Department in 2015, bringing supervisory experience and leadership developed during his tenure in New York City.
Dodd further emphasized the honor of being promoted
“Promotions are not rewards,” he told the officers. “They are responsibilities. And tonight, you are not being recognized for what you’ve done. You’re being entrusted with what must now be done. In our police department, one strong leader can elevate the entire organization.
“To our newly promoted leaders, wear the rank with humility. Lead from the front. And never ask your officers to do something that you yourself would not do.”
Dodd also thanked the families of the officers, noting their support and sacrifices throughout each officer’s career. Following the ceremony, the newly promoted officers were congratulated by trustees, fellow and former officers and attendees.
