Officer of the Week
STAFFORD, Va. — 1st Sgt Robert Grella, Jr. has spent 13 years as a Stafford County Sheriff’s Deputy.
He grew up in the county, went to Stafford Senior High School, and now as head of the sheriff’s department’s Special Problems Unit, he says he’s made more positive interactions with his neighbors through this line of work than he would have working a different job.
Grella patrols the entire county, but his unit takes special cases, working tips to try and track down narcotics, or it could be working to find a missing child. The duties vary from day to day, but it’s a relationship with residents that makes is work worthwhile. And they love him back, he says, as residents in the Foxwood Village neighborhood called him “mayor.”
“I want to say you work hand in hand with these people… they almost become like family, the same kind of people you want to go visit at Christmastime,” said Grella.
He’s been working as head of the Special Problems Unit for two years. Before becoming a sheriff’s deputy, he worked as a correctional officer. It was there he learned to use words to combat and diffuse situations. He’s applied that training the streets.
“I can remember when I was a kid I wanted to become a cop,” said Grella.
When he finally became one, he learned there was more to the job than he first thought.
“It was so neat to drive a car with lights and sirens, carry a gun, and then all you want to go and do is go out and arrest people,” said Grella. “But as you get wiser you know you want to go out and help people.”
Married for 23 years with three boys, ages 11, 14, and 21, having a family that lives in the community drives him even more to protect and serve, he said. His youngest son even talks about joining the force someday.
Grella heads a team of four officers. He said Sheriff’s Charles Jett has given him and his team leeway to investigate crimes, and to have the ability to get the job done. Unlike many of his counterparts, Grella doesn’t have a military background, and that has helped in his leadership ability.
“I’m able to take a different approach to some things…and have the ability take a step back and look at it from a different angle…that can be a help when you’re doing this job,” he said.
