Vick served NCCU for 11 years

McDonald Vick, 50, has been the N.C. Central University police chief since 1995. He will continue his career at the University of Kentucky in Lexington after he leaves NCCU on Feb. 28.

Vick, a NCCU alumnus, was an 18-year veteran of the Durham Police Department.

Vick said he has seen NCCU grow during his 11 years on the force, and that the police department has matured from being a small security operation.

The police chief position at UK involves supervising a police force that is twice the size of the one at NCCU.

The UK News reported that the operating budget for its police force is $4.8 million, compared to about $2 million at NCCU.

During his career at NCCU, Vick has had many job offers and, until recently, he has turned them all down.

He said that his decision to take the Chief of Police position at UK was an extremely difficult one.

“I almost didn’t go,” Vick said. “It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve made in my life, and I may regret it one day.”

The decision proved difficult because Vick has family attending NCCU and he has his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from NCCU in criminal justice.

Vick said that when he was a student he told one of his instructors that he would return one day to be the University’s police chief.

In 1995 he realized that dream.

“My loyalty will always be to NCCU,” Vick said. “If it wasn’t for the University I wouldn’t have the opportunity to go to Kentucky.”

Vick said working at NCCU has made his life better because it has given him a different perspective. The involvement with the students on campus has inspired him to want to make a difference in the lives of many young people he said.

He said it is important for faculty and staff to continue to give the students the best of their abilities and to help them accomplish their goals.

Sarah Bell-Lucas, Director of Academic Advising, became like a second mother to him while he was a student.

Bell-Lucas said that Vick was a shy guy who surprised her with his talent for writing poetry when he was a student.

“[Chief Vick] is misunderstood at times, but he is a real go-getter,” Bell-Lucas said.

Jonathon Leach, an NCCU graduate with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice said that Vick’s success stems from his accessibility.

Leach is now a graduate student studying public administration.

“I have always found Chief Vick to be a very approachable person and one who the Student Government Association has had a very nice working relationship with,” Leach said. “I think whoever replaces Chief Vick will have big shoes to fill.” Vick’s position is not yet filled. He said whoever steps into the position must keep the lines of communication open between administrators, the community and students.