Beaufort police chief undergoing cancer treatment

Operations will continue as normal as possible at the Beaufort Police Department while Chief Matt Clancy undergoes treatment for cancer, interim city manager Bill Prokop said Thursday.

"He's the chief and he's going to come in every day he can," Prokop said. "Thank goodness we have a good structure, and the deputy chief will be in charge when he's not in."

Clancy previously told department personnel, and on Wednesday took to Facebook "to get the word out to as many folks as possible and avoid any rumors or confusion." He is being treated for pancreatic cancer.

Clancy declined to talk Thursday and asked for privacy for himself and his family at this time.

While undergoing treatment, Clancy intends to continue to work with the support of his command staff.

"We're hoping and praying for the best ... and we're taking it a day at a time," Prokop said.

Clancy's wife, Lisa, has set up a blog to keep friends and family informed.

Clancy has been with the Beaufort Police Department since 1997 and has been the police chief since 2008.

He is a graduate of The Citadel, served in the U.S. Marine Corps and spent four years with the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office before joining the city police.

"We all wish we had as strong a character as Matt, and we support him with everything we can," Prokop said.

Follow reporter Erin Moody at twitter.com/IPBG_Erin.

Related content:

• Updates about police Chief Matt Clancy
• Interim chief Clancy hired to lead city police department, Feb. 10, 2009

This story was originally published March 19, 2015 at 10:12 AM.