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2016 SESSION

16103347D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 301
Offered February 16, 2016
Commending J. T. Whitt.
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Patrons-- Rush; Senator: Edwards
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WHEREAS, J. T. Whitt, who has proudly served in law enforcement for more than three decades, retired in 2015 after 12 years as Sheriff of Montgomery County; and

WHEREAS, J. T. “Tommy” Whitt has been a dedicated public servant for his entire career; he graduated from Radford High School in 1972 and joined the United States Marine Corps, where he was on active duty for four years, attaining the rank of E-5 sergeant; and

WHEREAS, on October 1, 1976, three days after being discharged from the Marine Corps, Tommy Whitt joined the Christiansburg Police Department; he worked for the police department until 1984, when he was hired by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office; and

WHEREAS, Tommy Whitt rose through the ranks of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and was named commander of the Patrol Division before being elected sheriff in 2004; during his three terms as sheriff, he led a staff of 120 highly trained law-enforcement professionals through many challenging situations; and

WHEREAS, during his tenure, Tommy Whitt also oversaw the construction of the Western Virginia Regional Jail, and was closely involved in the building of a new county courthouse and public safety building; and

WHEREAS, Tommy Whitt has provided advice and counsel to many organizations and law-enforcement bodies; he was a member of the Virginia Sheriff’s Association Legislative Committee, chair of the board of the New River Criminal Justice Training Academy, and served as chair of the Montgomery County Highway Safety Commission; and

WHEREAS, many changes have taken place since Tommy Whitt first became a law-enforcement officer; he proudly notes the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office implementation of the school resource officer program, the appointment of a woman to a command position, and receiving approval for the use of body cameras; and

WHEREAS, while Tommy Whitt says he will miss the close relationships he formed with his co-workers, colleagues, and the public, he looks forward to spending more time with his family during retirement; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend J. T. Whitt on the occasion of his retirement in 2015 as Sheriff of Montgomery County; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to J. T. Whitt as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration and respect for his many years of faithful service to the people of Montgomery County and the Commonwealth.