{"id":223078,"date":"2024-12-27T13:52:35","date_gmt":"2024-12-27T18:52:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=223078"},"modified":"2025-09-22T10:39:22","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T14:39:22","slug":"thank-you-officer-dublin-a-celebration-of-service-and-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2024\/12\/thank-you-officer-dublin-a-celebration-of-service-and-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Thank You Officer Dublin: A Celebration of Service and Community"},"content":{"rendered":"

After more than\u00a020 years of dedicated service, Officer Darrell Dublin is retiring from the UConn Police Department at the Waterbury campus. He leaves a legacy of commitment, compassion, and connection that will never be forgotten.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For many at UConn Waterbury, Officer Dublin has been more than just a police officer. He is a mentor to students, a supportive colleague to faculty and staff, and a dependable friend to all who crossed his path. Known for his infectious positive energy, and devoted dedication to the campus community, he embodies everything it means to be a Husky.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Reflecting on Officer Dublin\u2019s profound influence, Eric Moreno, a senior at UConn Waterbury, said, \u201cHe always brings joy to anyone’s face and provides an ample amount of energy to anything he sets his mind to. He is truly a living legend and will sadly be missed but the impact he made will not be forgotten.\u201d <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

B<\/span>efore joining UConn Police, Officer Dublin served the City of Waterbury as a police officer from 1980 to 2003, where he worked in the Community Relations Department. His work there laid the foundation for his approach to policing- one that prioritizes building relationships and making a positive impact on the lives of those he ser<\/span>ves.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Officer
Officer Dublin shakes hands with a Waterbury Cop during\u00a0 Walkbury Tour\/ Steve Bustamante. (UConn Library 2024)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cOfficer Dublin has truly been the heart and soul of UConn Waterbury, always greeting everyone with a smile and a kind word. Every morning that I ran into him, I knew it would be a good day\u2014and I know countless students, faculty, and staff felt the same. Darrell, thank you for your unwavering dedication and the joy you\u2019ve brought to our campus. You will always be a cherished part of our Husky family,\u201d said Campus Dean and Chief Administrative Officer, Fumiko Hoeft.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During his 21 years at UConn, Officer Dublin\u2019s influence extended far beyond his official duties. He has become a beloved icon, second only to Jonathan the Husky in representing the spirit of the campus. Students, faculty, and staff have come to know him as the heart and soul of UConn Waterbury. Whether he was greeting students with a high five, helping someone in need, or simply offering a kind word to brighten someone\u2019s day, Officer Dublin\u2019s presence made the campus feel like home for everyone.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When asked about his time working at UConn Waterbury, Officer Dublin shared, \u201cIt makes you feel good to help the students. They go on to do amazing things \u2013 they become doctors, state troopers, lawyers. It\u2019s wonderful to see how a school can produce such great professionals!\u00a0\u201c<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He also said, \u201cI will remember all the people who worked here & the students, how we were a family. Working at UConn wasn\u2019t really a job, it was a way of life. You were glad to be here.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Officer
Officer Dublin teaches students how to tie a tie at UConn Waterbury Career Closet (UConn Waterbury photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As Officer Dublin embarks on this new chapter of his life, the UConn Waterbury community extends its heartfelt gratitude for his years of service and dedication. Though he may no longer patrol the campus, his legacy will remain in the hearts of everyone he has impacted and in the strong, supportive community he helped create.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Thank you, Darrell, for your service, your kindness, your friendship, and your unwavering commitment to making UConn Waterbury a better place for everyone. You will always be a part of the UConn Waterbury family.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Officer Darrell Dublin retires after 21 years as the heart and soul of UConn Waterbury, leaving a legacy of kindness, mentorship, and community. His positivity and dedication made the campus feel like home, and his impact will be cherished for years to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":204,"featured_media":223074,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1715],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[2625],"class_list":["post-223078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-impact"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-28 14:38:10","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223078","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/204"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=223078"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223078\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":235596,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223078\/revisions\/235596"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/223074"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=223078"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=223078"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=223078"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=223078"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=223078"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}