West Boylston – Starting a program that has never before been done at the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Guy Glodis welcomed a delegation of Russian officials for a meeting and tour of the Jail and House of Correction.  Part of a larger program to allow Russian children of fallen police and firemen to visit the United States, the delegation also visited with Chief of the New York City Police Department during their stay.

“There is so much that can be learned from other cultures, and how they approach public safety, corrections, and government,” Sheriff Glodis stated.  “This exchange program provides the delegates and many Russian children the opportunity to experience things they otherwise would never experience.”

Mr. Viktor Davidov, First Deputy Director to the Governor of Karelia, met with Sheriff Glodis to discuss the penal system in each country and contrasting formats for rehabilitation.  Mr. Davidov also toured the facility and spoke to staff in each department. 

The trip was organized by former Ashburnham Police Chief Roy “Skip” Bourque, who likewise traveled to Karelia as part of a delegation of American police officers invited to speak at the Karelian Ministry of Internal Affairs police training academy in Petrozavodsk.  Mr. Bourque established the Charitable Fund for Russian Children, which sends aid to families of Russian firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty.

Sheriff Glodis continued: “As part of a similar exchange program myself, I can speak firsthand to the value of this important initiative.  Concern for these children and the sacrifice their father or mother made transcends all borders.”  As State Senator, Mr. Glodis was appointed by the American Council of Young Political Leaders to represent the United States while touring Eastern Europe, stopping in Hungary and Poland to lecture about American government.

All donations to the Charitable Fund for Russian Children can be sent to the Leominster Employees’ Federal Credit Union, 24 Church St., Leominster, MA 01453