Beloved Locust Police Chief Steven ‘Smitty’ Smith dies of heart attack

LOCUST, N.C. — Locust Police Department Chief Steven Smith died Tuesday of a heart attack, the department confirmed Wednesday morning.

Smith, 44, was well-known in Stanly County and throughout the law enforcement and first responders community, residents said.

Smith, known as “Smitty,” was a Locust native, the Locust Police Department posted on Facebook last Friday.

He started his career with the Locust Police Department in 1997. He then joined police departments in Monroe and Kannapolis. He returned to Locust in 2007 and worked his way up the ranks to become chief in December 2019.

In terms of his work as chief of police, the department described him as an “officer’s Chief,” who was able to combine leadership with camaraderie.

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Smith was dedicated to developing the most well-equipped, well-trained and community-driven patrol officers. His officers said Smith believed the patrol division was the “heart and soul” of a police department and they responded positively to that leadership.

The department added that Smith was an extraordinary decision-maker and leader and he had vision for the future of the Locust Police Department.

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Officials said “Smitty” was adored by his peers in both the Stanly County community and the law enforcement community. They described him as “one of the most as a humorous storytellers” you would ever meet and he had a one-liner for any occasion.

Smith’s hobbies off-duty were camping, hunting and fishing.

Funeral arrangements for Chief Smith have not been announced.

Cox Media Group