Captain Darren Smith

ESCANABA — The city of Escanaba will have a new face at the helm of the Escanaba Public Safety Department next month.

On Friday, the Escanaba Department of Public Safety announced the promotion of Captain Darren Smith, effective on September 2.

Smith takes over for Director John Gudwer, who served in the department since 1999 and held the director position since June 2023.

Now, Director Smith will take over the position, bringing nearly 23 years of experience in law enforcement and fire operations.

Smith began his career in 2002, serving in various law enforcement agencies, including the Schoolcraft County Sheriff’s Department, the Manistique Public Safety Department, the Delta County Sheriff’s Department, and the Escanaba Public Safety Department since 2006.

Throughout his career, Smith held various leadership roles, including patrol sergeant, patrol lieutenant, and captain.

His duties included overseeing patrol operations, fire training, shift scheduling, major incident response and departmental projects.

Smith has certifications as a Firefighter I, Firefighter II, fire instructor and fire officer.

He has also acquired several accolades throughout his career, including three letters of commendation, a Life Saving Award and the Professional Excellence Award.

Smith is an active member of the Fraternal Order of Police and the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police, and regularly participates in law enforcement and fire-related fundraising and community events.

According to the press release, Smith’s extensive experience, unwavering dedication, and demonstrated leadership will be a great asset to the city as he takes on a critical role, ensuring continued excellence and advancement of the department.

“The City of Escanaba extends its heartfelt congratulations to Director John Gudwer on his well-earned retirement and expresses our deep gratitude for his many years of dedicated service to our community. His leadership and commitment have left a lasting impact on the department. At the same time, we warmly welcome Director Darren Smith into his new role and look forward to his continued leadership and vision as he guides the Department of Public Safety into the future,” according to the press release.