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2015 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 801
Commending the Arlington County Police Department.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 13, 2015
Agreed to by the Senate, February 19, 2015

 

WHEREAS, in 2015, the Arlington County Police Department celebrates its 75th anniversary of serving and protecting the citizens of Arlington County; and

WHEREAS, the Arlington County Division of Police was created on February 1, 1940, at the suggestion of Sheriff H.B. Fields, who felt that the county needed a professional police force to better keep pace with its growth; and

WHEREAS, when it was formed in 1940, the Arlington County Division of Police had nine members and its first police chief was former deputy sheriff Harry Woodyard; the department quickly increased in size, and by 1943, the force was 39 members strong; and

WHEREAS, the core mission of the Arlington County Police Department is to reduce the incidence of crime and improve the quality of life in Arlington County by making it a place where all people can live safely and without fear; and

WHEREAS, today, the Arlington County Police Department has a sworn complement of 370 officers and a civilian support staff of approximately 97 people; all members of the department serve the public selflessly and with great dedication; and

WHEREAS, Arlington County has greatly changed in the last seven decades; it is proud of its diverse and growing population of 225,000 people who benefit from the commitment to safety and the professional training exhibited each and every day by the members of the police department; and

WHEREAS, one of the essential roles of government is to provide for the safety of its citizens; for the past 75 years, the officers and staff of the Arlington County Police Department have admirably fulfilled that function, helping to make the county a safer place for everyone; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Arlington County Police Department on the occasion of its 75th anniversary of serving and protecting the citizens of Arlington County; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Arlington County Police Department as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect and admiration for the department’s proud history of serving its community and for its commitment to providing high quality policing services.