[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 156 (Tuesday, November 5, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S7828]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      TRIBUTE TO KEVIN P. McDERBY

 Mr. COONS. Madam President, I wish to honor the service, 
dedication, and passion of an individual whose name is synonymous with 
law enforcement in Delaware, New Castle police chief Kevin P. McDerby. 
After more than 40 years of service to the people of Delaware, Chief 
McDerby embarked on a well-earned retirement at the end of last month. 
While known for his long and decorated career in law enforcement, Chief 
McDerby's tenure will be most remembered for his work with veterans and 
community groups, such as Delaware Concerns of Police Survivors, or 
C.O.P.S, and the Special Olympics Torch Run, as well as his efforts 
leading trips to the Nation's Capital to bring Delaware WWII and Korean 
veterans to visit national memorials and coordinating the establishment 
of the Delaware Law Enforcement Memorial on Legislative Mall in Dover.
  Chief McDerby began his public safety career in Delaware on January 
12, 1971, when he joined the Delaware State Police as a trooper working 
in the Criminal Investigation and Tactical Support Units. He quickly 
climbed the ranks, rising to sergeant in January 1979, to lieutenant 
and commander of Troop 6 in January 1986, to captain in February 1987, 
and finally to major in May 1989, where he took on the role of 
operations major for New Castle County.
  Shortly after his retirement from the Delaware State Police in August 
2000, McDerby was appointed chief of the New Castle Police Department, 
one of the oldest existing police departments in the Nation, 
established in 1672. As New Castle police chief, McDerby continued the 
department's proud legacy of dedication to duty and service with honor, 
established by a long line of distinguished officers who have served 
the department over five centuries.
  Chief McDerby's dedication to service was a hallmark of his law 
enforcement career. A strong advocate for law enforcement families, he 
was a founding member of Delaware C.O.P.S, an organization dedicated to 
providing resources to assist surviving families of officers killed in 
the line of duty.
  In his 40-plus years of law enforcement service to the people of New 
Castle and Delaware, Chief McDerby leaves behind not just a policing 
legacy but also an opportunity, a benchmark for his fellow officers to 
strive to reach. To follow Chief McDerby's example is to be more than 
just the best police officer you can be; it is to be a leader and a 
true ambassador for the law enforcement community in Delaware. On 
behalf of all Delawareans, I thank Chief McDerby for his tremendous 
service and wish him well in his retirement.

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