Singing trooper, pickleball player and barbecue cook want Port Royal police chief job

Port Royal officials say they are looking for a police chief who can develop a strategic plan to help the department keep pace with one of Beaufort County’s fastest growing communities, which they say is putting a strain on local law enforcement’s staffing.

On Wednesday, three police chief finalists introduced themselves to residents of the town then answered questions from Town Council members about their skills in developing a strategic plan, community policing and recruiting and retaining police officers.

They also shared their personal sides which revealed one candidate is a professional vocalist, one is an experienced barbecue cook and another loves playing pickleball.

Town Manager Van Willis says he will make a decision on who to hire by Monday.

The hiring of the town’s top cop comes at a critical time for the police department. Port Royal grew by more than 2,000 residents between 2020 and 2023 alone, with its population officially standing at 16,287 as of July 2023. Because of the steady growth, the town has placed a moratorium on new apartment construction. That growth, Willis says, has led to a corresponding increase in service calls.

The three finalists were the result of a nationwide search to replace Alan Beach and drew 35 applicants for the chief’s job leading the department of 32 officers. The finalists met with the public Wednesday evening prior to a Town Council meeting. Beach announced his retirement in July and left his post earlier this month.

The finalists are:

▪ Capt. Andre Massey, an operations captain who has been with the Port Royal department since 1998.

▪ Kevin Pierce, a former Pennsylvania State Trooper who retired two weeks ago as chief of South Coatesville, Pa., police department.

▪ And Jeffrey Meyers, who retired in August 2023 as deputy chief of the Fort Myers, Fla. Police Department.

Nationally, departments have faced a decline of officers since the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 killing of George Floyd, according to 214 law enforcement agencies that responded to a survey by the Police Executive Research Forum , although the survey reported an uptick in hiring in 2023 after four years of decline.

Councilman Jorge Guerrero, noting Port Royal officers are working very hard to keep up with demand for service, asked the finalists about their plans for recruiting and retention.

One of the toughest issues facing police departments when it comes to retention and recruitment, said Meyers, the former deputy chief in Fort Myers, is “no one wants to be a police officer anymore.” That department had recruitment success through a “pathway to policing” program targeting area schools and investing “a lot of money” in officers to make them happy so they would be more likely to tell their friends about openings in the department. Satisfied officers, Meyers said, are the best recruiting tool.

Massey, the local candidate, said he would look to local military bases and colleges in targeting recruitment efforts and the use of a ride-along program, social media and also word of mouth. The department, he said, needs more officers who can speak a second language especially Spanish to better communicate with the area’s growing Hispanic population. He would support a stipend for those officers and those with college degrees. “That’s going to keep people around a little bit more,” Massey said.

Recruitment and retention of officers is a “big problem” and the quality of candidates has dropped, said Pierce, the former South Coatesville, Pa., chief. Policing used to be a job where people would line up to apply, he said. Recruitment, Pierce said, must begin early. He cited a summer police camp that he was a part of for years that introduced young people to police work and speakers from the FBI and CSI agencies. “If we have the manpower, we should have a designated recruitment officer,” Pierce said.

The candidates were also asked to share some details about them unrelated to law enforcement.

Pierce, who was born and raised in Philadelphia, is a professional vocalist, and became known as the “singing trooper” during a long career with the Pennsylvania State Troopers, singing the national anthem across the region including NASCAR events and the Little League World Series.

Meyers was born and raised and Cleveland. “I’m a big Cleveland Browns fan,” he said. “Have mercy on me.” His parents vacationed in Hilton Head when he was young. The 55-year-old said “he found out I was too young to retire.” The English bulldog owner loves playing pickleball.

Massey, 56, who spent 12 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, loves to barbecue and even has owns his own tow-able grill. He loves “cruising” with his wife —taking cruise ship trips — and working out. He can be seen in the early mornings walking about the downtown area of Port Royal with former chief Beach.