PIERRE — With more than 30 years of law enforcement experience, Bob Grandpre, Pierre’s new police chief, said his career has now come full circle.

At Tuesday’s city commission meeting, commissioner Jason Glodt announced Grandpre, a 17-year Pierre resident and current South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation identification and information technologies administrator, accepted the job that had been vacant since June. For Grandpre, the position is a return to an earlier kind of police work.

“I’m just excited to get a chance to come back and work at the local level,” he said. “I started out locally. And, it’s a very satisfying part of the job, working at the community level.”

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Grandpre began working in law enforcement in 1977, as deputy sheriff. He then worked for the Aberdeen Police Department as a corrections officer and dispatcher. He eventually became a police officer, detective and sergeant. In 1991 he began working for DCI and was named training director while there.

He said he made some lasting relationship through the position that could benefit him as police chief.

“It gave me a chance to get to know almost all of the officers around,” he said. “If you’re in law enforcement long enough in South Dakota, you get to know most of the people that will be enforcing the law. It’s a small enough state that you network.”

Aside from establishing relationships with many officers, Grandpre said he worked with many sheriffs and police chiefs across the state as an administrator with DCI.

“Those relationships, I hope will come back to benefit me now,” he said. “I have some good friends out there. I’ve worked with departments that have done things very well and I hope I can take some of that knowledge and use it here.”

During the interview process, city officials said they wanted a police chief who would be engaged with the public and service organizations.

Grandpre said that was an appealing part of the job.

“I’ve lived in this community for 17 years,” he said. “This is where I raised my kids and I have a vested interest in it. I’m involved in a lot of organizations and activities. Now, it just seems like a real good opportunity to give something back. I look forward to doing some service.”

With the Legislature coming to town once a year, the community has a mix of residents and outsiders with certain expectations for the force, Grandpre said.

“The department has done a great job of protecting the people here,” he said. “The time I’ve been here, I’ve felt very secure and safe. It’s a good department to take over and build upon”