DELAND, Fla. — A DeLand legend was celebrated on Friday. Commander Francis "Mac" McBride retired after 45 years of patrolling Downtown DeLand.

 

What You Need To Know

  • DeLand Commander McBride retires after 45 years

  • Mural painted downtown in his honor

  • Community is coming together to pay his moving costs to Alabama

  • McBride personally trained his replacement

 

“It’s grown," said McBride, reflecting on how he has seen DeLand through the years. "But the people, they haven't changed.”

Despite sometimes changing shifts, McBride never changed his beat. He spent his career focusing on keeping the downtown area safe. 

“I’ve been able to serve this community for 45 years and loved every bit of it,” said McBride. 

Now at 77 years old, he is looking forward to a change of pace.

 

He is moving to Alabama to be with his daughter.

Despite moving away, he leaves behind a long lasting impact. He is well known for his friendly greeting and his "Night Eyes" program, where he left notes for business owners letting him know he checked their building. He explained it was most important to him to gain the trust of the community. 

“You have to earn that over the years,” said McBride. 

Store owners like Anita Rash said they can’t remember the city without him and his initiatives to keep their stores safe. 

“He has been more than just an officer, a commander. He has also been a great friend and he is going to be missed by many,” said Rash, who has owned Anita's Furniture for the last 21 years. 

He is such a fixture in downtown that there is now a mural in his honor.

DeLand Police Chief Jason Umberger believes McBride is a model of how policing should be done.

“That is what Mac did for 45 years, he built relationships with people and he is a walking legacy of community policing,” said Chief Umberger. 

On his last day, McBride took time to pass on some of his wisdom down to the next generation of officers at his retirement luncheon. 

“You’ve got to be yourself and everything else falls into place," said McBride. “If you do something and you love what you do, it's easy.”

After remembering his past, McBride looks forward to a new future for both him and the city.

“If this country would be like DeLand, this would be a better country, because this town is family,” said McBride. 

McBride moves to Alabama next week. Downtown DeLand merchants are pitching in to cover his moving costs.

McBride said he has personally trained his replacement, and his confident he will continue his legacy of keeping Downtown DeLand safe.