‘Homegrown and genuine’: Beaufort native named city’s new deputy police chief
Darrell Gruel was 27 when he was hired as an officer with the Beaufort Police Department.
His “selling point” during the interview was, “As long as I’m in law enforcement, I’m going to be in this department,” he said.
Almost 30 years later, the native Beaufortonian has stayed true to his word. He’s risen through the ranks to be second in command. He’s worked many positions within the department, including as a school resource officer when mayor-elect Stephen Murray was a student, and most recently as a captain.
Friday afternoon, Chief Dale McDorman swore Gruel into his role as deputy chief in a room full of fellow officers, some of Gruel’s family members, and the department’s comfort dog, Missy.
Gruel, 56, replaces McDorman, who was recently appointed chief after serving as deputy chief for 10 years under Matt Clancy, who died this summer. Gruel and McDorman have worked together as Beaufort police officers since the ‘90s.
“He’s homegrown and genuine, and he cares for everyone else,” McDorman told the room. “This (promotion) was a no brainer.”
After Gruel took his oath, his wife, Lindy, pinned his new “deputy chief” badge onto his navy uniform, where it rests above his heart. Two of his three children, Danielle and Connor, also attended, and each placed a pin on their dad’s collar.
“This is surreal,” Gruel said. “When I first started, this wasn’t even in the realm of what I thought was possible.”
He looked at his family and smiled.
“My wife has been with me the entire time I’ve been with the department, and my kids grew up with a dad who worked shift work,” he said. “I remember times when I brought my daughter into the office.”
They’ve kind have grown up in the department, he said, and in some ways, he has, too. So he’s humbled now, as deputy chief, to be able to serve the city that raised him. And he’s proud of what Beaufort and its police department have grown to be.
