After 37 years, Port Royal says bye to Chief Beach. Three finalists for next top cop

Town of Port Royal officials said goodbye to long-time Police Chief Alan Beach Wednesday and released the names of three finalists who hope to replace him — one in-house candidate and two from out of state.

The three finalists are:

• Capt. Andre Massey of the Port Royal Police Department
• Jeffrey Meyers, recently retired deputy chief of Fort Myers, Fla. Police Department. Fort Meyers is on the west coast of Florida with a 2020 population total of 86,395.
• Kevin Pierce, recently retired police chief for South Coatesville, Pa. Police Department. South Coatesville is west of Philadelphia with a 2020 population of 1,604.

Residents will get the chance to talk to the candidates during a “meet and greet” scheduled at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11 prior to the Town Council meeting.

Town Manager Van Willis will make the final hiring decision, Mayor Kevin Phillips said.

Beach is retiring after a 37-year career with the department including the last 12 years as chief.

Members of his staff and Town Council members said goodbye to Beach during a sometimes emotional ceremony Wednesday.

“I never thought I was going to make five years — and the next thing it was 10,” Beach said afterwards.

The 58-year-old chief, who wraps up his duties this week, was 21 when he joined what was then called the Port Royal Department of Public Safety in 1987. In those days he served both as a police officer and a firefighter. The dual role eventually ended when fire services in Port Royal and Beaufort merged, he said.

Beach spearheaded the increased professionalism of the department as it grew from 10 to 30 officers, Col. Deputy Chief Ron Wekenmann said.

In between tearful goodbyes, colleagues shared funny recollections of their time serving with Beach.

When Capt. John Griffith joined the force, Beach, his field training officer, asked him if he had qualified at the pistol range. Griffith replied that he completed the training a week ago, which was followed by an awkward silence. Finally, Griffith asked Beach “if he was ever going to give him some bullets.” While they were picking up the ammunition, Beach informed Griffith he could also get the “bunker gear” he would need to fight fires. “You are going to do both,” Beach told him. The news came as a surprise to Griffith, who had signed up to fight crime and not fires. The encounter, Griffith said, taught him two valuable lessons: Always ask for what you need — and don’t volunteer for anything unless you know what’s involved.

Capt. Massey, who started as a volunteer in 1994, recalled an instance soon after he started in which he was asked to drive Beach’s well-known burgundy Crown Victoria. Beach, seated in the passenger seat, told the rookie to pay attention to the road and don’t get lost — and to wake him up if he heard his call sign.

“It was a pleasure to call you boss and it was a definitely a pleasure to call you my friend,” Massey said.

Beach plans to remain in Port Royal and do more fishing and golfing and maybe get a part-time job. And he will continue the 4-to 5-mile walks he takes around Port Royal each morning with Massey and Wekenmann.

Beach said of his career, “I loved it.”