Leadership Profile: Local 443 President David Guthrie
David Guthrie is president of IBPO Local 443 in Newington, Connecticut. A Connecticut native, he’s been an officer for 18 years and president of the Newington local for six.
Guthrie was president in December of 2004 when one of his members, Master Officer Peter Lavery, was shot and killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic violence call. The suspect allegedly held police at bay for some 12 hours before apparently taking his own life.
IBPO National President David J. Holway said of Guthrie’s leadership, "In a perfect world, officers wouldn’t need Brother Guthrie’s round-the-clock support, but in the middle of such a tragedy, his dedication is a gift."
Guthrie was also the IBPO member representative to a 2004 U.S. Department of Justice summit on body armor safety. The summit took place following incidents in which officers wearing armor made with Zylon fabric were injured or killed; such vests reportedly degraded in real-life conditions much sooner than manufacturers had represented.
"Being a local president is a very challenging job, but it's rewarding to make working conditions better, to ensure fairness in procedures in my department, to negotiate contracts," said Guthrie. "It's a very rewarding experience."