M. James DePuy . . . For a safe environment

Biographical sketch of Jim DePuy. This and other articles may be found in the University Archives.

The citation for this article is: "M. James DePuy . . . For a safe environment," Pieces of Eight, November 15, 1989.

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When James (Jim) DePuy became ECU's new Director of Public Safety in July and moved here from Florida he hit the ground running, so to speak. It's been week after week of long hours, sleepless nights, of crisis and emergencies, of coordinating plans for coping with a hurricane (which didn't come) and preparing for his first Halloween in Greenville.

"It's been unbelievably busy," says the 42-year-old DePuy (pronounced Dee-Pew). "I couldn't believe it. I've been pinching myself."

He arrived to succeed the retiring director, Joseph Calder, with an agenda in mind which included making the transition in smooth, orderly fasion and becoming involved in the community.

DePuy's agenda is still on -- if not quite on schedule -- and some results have been achieved in only three months. Other plans necessarily will take more time, he says. "I really thought we would be further along in some areas, but we will get there."

Reporting Results, Plans

"I came at an extremely busy time of year," DePuy says. So his hectic schedule was not entirely unexpected. His arrival coincided with the beginning of the record 1989-90 academic year at ECU.

He faced a reorganization and realignment of responsibilities among the 52 fulltime department officers and employees. And there was an unsettling series of criminal activities -- sexual assualts and strong arm robberies -- which demanded immediate attention and extra manhours.

The department assumed more responsibility for security at university athletic events. Many hours were spent making plans for an expected emergency sequence when Hurricane Hugo moved inland.

During all of this, DePuy has doubled the student reserve force in public safety and created an auxiliary police department to supplement the regular 52-member force.

Developing a Procedures Manual

DePuy's goals for the development include "a long, arduous job" of developing an in-depth procedures manual for public safety which, he says, "will cover everything we do" from towing of vehicles to making arrests, from personnel procedures to media releases.

The new director has launched the state's first university in-service training program for department personnel through the Law Enforcement Information Training Network, a televised program beamed by satellite. It focuses on legal issues and safety. "It's a new, progressive thing," DePuy says.

He also has taken the first steps in a program to make fuller use of new technology and computerization.

Another goal which DePuy added to the agenda because of his early impressions of East Carolina University is to "maintain a family environment for the public safety department in respect to the campus. I am impressed by the fact that this university community is like a family," DePuy says. "It is close-knit and caring. I was not used to that. I am impressed. I like it very much."

To Provide a Safe Environment

DePuy is unhesitating about his number one goal. "Our first priority is to provide a safe environment in which the educational process can flow smoothly," he says.

His style and that of the department will be "to encourage everyone to be involved in public safety."

"We will work to the best of our ability toward preventing crime, rather than apprehension," DePuy said.

Bronze Star in Viet Nam

DePuy's career in law enforcement began as a military policeman during three years in the U.S. Army during which he won the Bronze Star for heroism in Viet Nam.

He comes to ECU from a position as deputy director for public safety and police at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, where he had been for five years. He had been in the swimming pool business in Ormond Beach, reflecting his enthusiasm for water sports. He is an accomplished scuba diver.

During the 1970s, DePuy was a police officer and field instructor in Tampa, helped establish crime prevention programs in the juvenile division of the detective force and was supervisor of security at 15 senior and junior high schools in the city of Tampa.

Works Well With Youths

He holds an associate of arts degree from Hillsborough Community College in Tampa and degrees in sociology and criminal justice from St. Leo's College, also in Florida.

He looks forward in the near future to becoming "very involved" in youth programs with civic groups, churches and elsewhere in the community. "I got involved with a school program in Tampa working with young people who were headed for trouble. They weren't really what you'd call juvenile delinquents -- they had never been in trouble -- but we looked for characteristics of pre-delinquency."

Some of the identifying factors may be truancy, poor grades, a resentful attitude, low self-esteem, lack of parental control and disruptive behavior, DePuy says. "If they can be identified, we can try to work on the identifying factors as problems and often be successful."

He has served on boards of directors for Big Brothers and Big Sisters programs and youth programs of the Optimist International and is already making guest lectures in local anti-drug programs.

"I want to spend most of my spare time with youth groups in a church, or out in the community," DePuy says. His wife Brenda and his 16-year-old son know of DePuy's commitment to volunteerism -- in his spare time.