New police chief was inspired by 9/11 first responders

By Gwyneth J. Saunders CONTRIBUTOR

After a five-year hitch in the Marine Corps working in electronics, Joseph Babkiewicz went to work for Nextel Communications, the company that invented push-to-talk phones.

Electronics wasn’t his first choice as a Marine, but his recruiter persuaded him that he could go into law enforcement later while learning something new and expanding his opportunities.

When 9/11 took place, Babkiewicz was living in Connecticut, and Nextel needed a volunteer to go to New York and set up a portable cell site down at Ground Zero.

“I instantly raised my hand and went down there for five days. When I was down there, I saw the way law enforcement and the firefighters were working, and what they did to help people. That was something I wanted to get into, something I always had an interest in,” he said. “But after seeing that, I (thought) that’s what I want to do for the rest of my life. Their dedication and putting themselves aside for the good of other people. That is truly who I am. That’s the way my dad raised me. And I knew that law enforcement or even firefighter was the route.”

Babkiewicz has 20 years’ experience in law enforcement, a bachelor’s degree in forensic science, and a master’s in criminal justice and public administration. He joined the Bluffton Police Department in 2008, stayed for 13 and a half years, took a year off, and, out of a pool of 75 applicants, became the new chief as of Dec. 29, 2022.

The year away from law enforcement work gave Babkiewicz a different line of work experience, working for Pulte Homes coordinating the building of houses in the Malind Bluff neighborhood.

“It was something completely different. I’ve always been interested in construction,” he said. “It’s a great company and great people working there, but I remember coming home after six months and telling my wife I missed law enforcement. This is not me, this is not who I am.”

The break also gave him a chance to think.

“It was kind of good to get away

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