The Suffolk Police Department now has three deputy chiefs after a reorganization of the department.

Effective Aug. 1, Capt. Steve Patterson was promoted to major and given the third deputy chief position alongside Majs. Stephanie Burch and Dean Smith.

“The reason we did it is to have more equal distribution of responsibility and accountability,” Chief Thomas Bennett said. “It was strictly based on what we felt we needed to do to be more efficient and responsive as a police department.”

Previously, Burch was in charge of department operations — giving her more than 85 percent of the department’s personnel — and Smith handled administration.

Patterson’s promotion gave him oversight of the investigations units, including narcotics, the detectives and the two Neighborhood Enforcement Team gang units.

Burch’s position still handles patrol — still the majority of the department’s personnel — and special operations. Smith’s position was mostly unchanged, leaving him with functions such as professional standards, dispatchers, Animal Control, central records, property and evidence, finance and recruitment.

It is the second reorganization since Bennett became chief in 2009. The first occurred in 2010, when Burch was promoted and gave the department two deputy chiefs.

Bennett said the changes will cost taxpayers no extra dollars.

After Patterson’s promotion, a cascade of promotions behind him have taken place. J.D. Buie was promoted to captain, A. Chandler and C. Smith have been promoted to lieutenants, J. Sobers was promoted to sergeant and W. Shockley was promoted to master police officer.

Separately, a retirement caused the promotion of Mark Erie to lieutenant and Raul Hutson to sergeant.

All the promotions will be celebrated in a ceremony Thursday at 6 p.m. at the First Lady, 447 W. Washington St.

“It’s exciting to know we’ve moved the city and the department forward and are trying to do new things,” Patterson said. “I’m looking forward to trying to move the department forward.”