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 This edition of “In The Spotlight” features sixteen year veteran,
Lieutenant Derrick McBride, of the Eastern Connecticut State University
Police Department. He was hired as an officer at Eastern in 1987, and has
worked his way through the ranks to his current position.
Derrick recently had the opportunity to travel to South Africa as an invitee
of the People to People Ambassador Program. This program was
founded by Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956, and Eisenhower’s aim was to
build a massive program of communication between Americans and citizens of
other countries. Eisenhower believed that the peaceful relationships
between nations require understanding and mutual respect between
individuals in all professions. In this case, several law enforcement
administrators from around the country were invited to participate in this
international professional and cultural program as part of the first law
enforcement delegation to South Africa. The purpose of this delegation was
to exchange information and experiences in their profession with
colleagues from South Africa. Developing these ties benefited the
participants in understanding where they have been and what they have
accomplished. It also gave the delegation an opportunity to share
information from a U.S. law enforcement perspective that could help them
progress in the field.
Delegates were selected based on experience in law enforcement as an
administrator, and most of the delegation was either first or second in
command of an agency as well as FBI
National Academy graduates. The selection was also based on geographic
location of the participants as well as an attempt to form a diverse
group. There were law enforcement representatives from Washington, Kansas,
Indiana, Texas, New Jersey, and Derrick as the delegate representing
Connecticut.
The delegation attended formal meetings and presentations on a daily basis
with law enforcement representatives from South African Police Services in
Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town City Police. They also met with the
National Department of Justice which included representatives from the
court systems, victim services, and the Department of Corrective Services
(prison). They also toured the SAPS Forensic Science facility and the
Criminal Record Center. Most of the discussions with law enforcement and
the Dept. of Justice centered on the
following topics: overview of law enforcement in South Africa, changes
that have taken place since the end of apartheid, technology, training,
education and deployment of law enforcement personnel, and expectations
and support of men and women in the field. In addition, they met with the
faculty of law at the University of Cape Town to discuss the roles of
non-policing entities on policing matters and to discuss community
involvement in public safety and their concerns.
I asked Derrick for his thoughts on the issues facing PSEC recently and he
told me that while he feels that the Union is doing its best considering
the state’s current budgetary constraints, he believes that we should
not settle during the crucial negotiating period coming up in 2004. First
and foremost, he would like to see the Union leadership continue to work
to save our current positions against any pending layoffs. He would also
support more money going toward the education of our Union members and/or
their family members. Lastly, he looks forward to attending a Union family
picnic during the summer of 2004.
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