R. Bruce McBride Appointed Commissioner of University Police

Albany – State University of New York Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher today announced the appointment of R. Bruce McBride as commissioner of University Police. In this position, McBride will oversee police and security for the 64 SUNY campuses and liaison with state agencies and local police departments.

McBride is a current professor of Criminal Justice at Utica College and a former SUNY Assistant Vice Chancellor for University Life and University Police, having spent 13 years of his career at System Administration in Albany, from 1987-2000.

“Bruce is an accomplished leader with the strong criminal justice background this position requires,” said Chancellor Zimpher. “With years of hands-on experience in the University Police department, intricate knowledge of the SUNY system, and excellent ties to many of our campus police officers and local communities, Bruce is ideally suited to lead our University Police.”

“I am honored to return to work with the dedicated men and women of the State University Police, community college public safety, and the staff at System Administration,” said McBride. “I look forward to addressing the important policy and strategic planning challenges related to this position.”

The duties of the commissioner include overseeing police and campus security for the SUNY System and acting as a liaison with the NYS Department of Criminal Justice Services, police chiefs at SUNY’s state-operated campuses, the Community College Public Safety Administration, and local police and NYS agencies regarding police matters, labor relations, crime reporting, and policy regulations and laws. The superintendant will also serve on various task forces pertaining to safety and security at SUNY campuses.

Dr. McBride will complete his teaching responsibilities at Utica College this semester and will begin a transition to his new duties at SUNY in November. 

About R. Bruce McBride

R. Bruce McBride has been a professor at Utica College since 2000. He currently teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in criminal justice and criminal justice administration. Over the years, he has also directed program activities for adjunct professors in criminal justice, economic crime, and cyber security at the college, initiated a new graduate degree in criminal justice administration, and helped to convert various programs to an online platform.

Prior, from 1987-2000, McBride held various positions within the SUNY Office of University Life, including assistant vice chancellor for University Life and University Police, executive director, and director of Public Safety. In these capacities, McBride coordinated law enforcement of university life activities for SUNY’s 64 campuses. He also initiated a statewide police training program, revised various hiring standards, and was part of a team that changed the legal status of SUNY officers from peace officer to police officer.

McBride has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in History from SUNY Oswego and a master’s and Doctor of Education degree in Education Administration & Policy from the University at Albany.

A complete curriculum vitae is available online.

About the State University of New York

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, educating approximately 468,000 students in more than 7,500 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses with nearly 3 million alumni around the globe. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu.