Simpsonville: Meet Your New Police Chief

The public is invited to meet Simpsonville's new police chief, Keith Grounsell, from 5:30-6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 25 at City Hall. 

The meet-and-greet will be held before the regular meeting of the City Council. Light refreshments will be served.

Grounsell was tapped as the city's new police chief late last month after a long and intensive search. Grounsell, who will replace retired Chief Charles Reece, edged out the city's assistant police chief, Colleen O'Neil, to become the city's top cop.

Grounwell, who served as an investigator with the 13th Judicial Circuit Solicitor's Office, told Patch, "I'm excited. This has been a long-term goal of mine. I've done a lot of things in my career, but this is definitely the epitome of all of them."

The process to find a new chief began in June upon the retirement of Chief Reece. Grounsell emerged as the last person standing from an original field of 49 applicants.

"I'm ready to rock and roll," said Grounsell.

His first job in law enforcement was with the Mauldin Police Department, but he's also worked with the Greenville County Sheriff's Office, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, the state's Juvenile Justice department, and also worked with federal contractor DynCorp International in Afghanistan, where he trained and helped build 50 police departments, as well as supervised the training and mentoring of the Afghan National Police Special Forces Units.

Six of his 15 years in law enforcement include supervisory and command experience, including command of a 36-county anti-gang and violent-crime task force. 

Grounsell also boasts extensive community and civic involvement with such organizations as the Prevent Addiction Problems Association, the Citizen Advisory Committee for the Greenville-Pickens Area Transportation Study, and Changing Attitudes Now, a program used in several area schools to teach children the rewards of making positive life choices. 

Additionally, Grounsell is a state-certified Guardian ad Litem, according to his resume.