25-year law enforcement veteran promoted to captain

Darren Gros of the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office was recently promoted to the rank of captain, and the 25-year veteran of law enforcement says he was driven to join law enforcement from a young age.

“My dad is a retired New Orleans firefighter,” Gros said. “I also have many family members who served and still do serve in the military. Having grown up in that environment, I was driven to join law enforcement. Being able to help people you don’t know when they are experiencing a problem that needs immediate attention is rewarding.”

Gros has spent the majority of his law enforcement career – 17 years – here in St. Charles Parish with the sheriff’s office. Gros is currently assigned to the St. Charles Parish Regional P.O.S.T. Academy as the director of training.

“As the academy director, I am responsible for the facilitation of all state mandated recruit training for our academy cadets,” he said. “In this capacity, I am also responsible for accurate reporting of the cadets’ progress throughout the academy and up to and including their certification to the Louisiana POST Council. On any given day, the director of training addresses the needs of each individual officer in many fashions … this can be a range of items such as addressing a training request to oversight of our firing range and in-house training to serving as the agency liaison to the Louisiana Commission in Law Enforcement.”

Gros said training involves numerous, motivated individuals skilled in various aspects of law enforcement.

“Besides the training staff, we have numerous adjunct instructors who perform flawlessly whether they instruct on investigations, weapons, or law,” he said. “We are fortunate in the fact that our instructors have and maintain several certifications that benefit our employees who then take that out into the field to serve the public very efficiently.”

Gros’ previous assignments include corrections, patrol, master field training officer, investigations, and training. Gros was previously promoted to detective in the criminal investigations bureau – special operations division. During Gros’ time in the detective bureau, he was promoted to detective sergeant.

In 2014, Gros was transferred to the training division. He was later promoted to lieutenant/assistant director of training where he remained until recently being promoted to captain in the training division.

“My favorite thing about my job is seeing officers I have had a part in training in a recruit academy flourishing in their professional and personal lives,” Gros said.

Gros previously served with the SCPSP’s special response team and currently serves on the agency’s honor guard. Gros serves on numerous committees within the department, and Sheriff Greg Champagne said Gros has been instrumental in securing past grant funding for agency project purchases.

With his career spanning decades, Gros has seen many things change and evolve in his profession.

“From an enforcement and training point of view, technology has drastically changed our approach to policing and training,” he said. “On the policing side for example, we now have the benefit of body cameras, in-car cameras, and in-car computers that all provide the individual officers’ ability to provide a faster and more efficient means to serve the public, evidence documentation, and digital analysis that assists in the resolutions of calls for service.”

On the training side, Gros said law enforcement can use technological advances to help shape future training programs to address the needs of today’s modern officers.

“Reality-based training that addresses officer contacts for both criminal and civil complaints, as well as contacts with our mental health community, have allowed us to realize the need and benefits for virtual reality-based training,” he said.

Gros is a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University, where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice. He then received his P.O.S.T. certification from Louisiana State University. Gros has attended numerous training courses and graduated from the National Command and Staff College in 2020.

Gros and his wife Katy have two children, Jaxson and Liam.