BLADEN COUNTY — The Bladen County Sheriff’s Office has added a new member to its team who will serve as the agency’s Accreditation Manager.
David Donaldson was sworn in on April 10 and will serve as a full-time deputy in addition to his management role. According to a Facebook post by the Sheriff’s Office, Donaldson “will support Sheriff McVicker and other staff members in managing and enhancing the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office policies and procedures in accordance with the best practices of law enforcement, and the international standards of the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).”
Donaldson is a native of Clarkton and spent a lot of time in and around Bladen County before moving to Wilmington in the early 90s. As a police officer with the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Donaldson began his career in law enforcement.
Donaldson served “in various roles of increasing responsibility to include Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain before being appointed UNCWs Chief of Police in 2003, a position he held for almost 20 years,” says the Sheriff’s Office Facebook post. David was also instrumental in the UNCW Police Department being awarded accreditation in 2021 by CALEA which the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office referred to as “a daunting, credible, and prestigious accomplishment for any agency.”
That same year, Donaldson retired from the UNCW Police Department and returned to Bladen County to work as a farm hand with Ward’s Farm.
Donaldson didn’t get the chance to spend much time on the farm as he was asked in July of last year by UNCW to return as Interim Chief of Police until a permanent Chief could be hired.
As Interim Chief of Police, Donaldson assisted the police department in successfully completing its first-year accreditation review. His interim role concluded in March with the appointment of a permanent chief.
In addition to the aforementioned titles and duties, Donaldson also served on several local and state committees during his law enforcement career, including NC’s Joint In-Service Training Committee, and also with various task forces and associations.
Donaldson is a graduate of Clarkton High School, Bladen Community College, and the University of Mount Olive, and has earned the Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate.
“David is excited to return home in Bladen and we are excited and grateful to have him join our team,” stated the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office.