By Flores                                              H.R. No. 300
         77R6094 MDM-D                           
                                 R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, The untimely passing of McAllen Police Chief
 1-2     Alejandro "Alex" Romero Longoria on December 19, 2000, at the age
 1-3     of 53, has brought a great loss not only to his family and fellow
 1-4     officers but to the entire community; and
 1-5           WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan exemplified in his personal and
 1-6     professional conduct the virtues of courage, integrity, and
 1-7     unwavering dedication, and his commitment to the law enforcement
 1-8     profession, as well as to the community he served, earned him the
 1-9     respect of all who knew him; and
1-10           WHEREAS, Born on December 27, 1946, in McAllen, Chief
1-11     Longoria graduated from Mission High School and served his country
1-12     with valor as a member of the United States Army Military Police
1-13     Corps while stationed in Vietnam and at Fort Campbell, Kentucky;
1-14     and
1-15           WHEREAS, He joined the McAllen Police Department in 1971 and
1-16     attained the rank of captain in 1981; he held an instructor's
1-17     certification from the Texas Commission of Law Enforcement Officer
1-18     Standards and Education and was a 1983 graduate of the FBI's
1-19     National Academy; and
1-20           WHEREAS, Appointed McAllen's chief of police in 1985, he
1-21     promoted community-oriented policing and introduced such programs
1-22     as foot patrols, K-9 patrols, and bike patrols, Teen Court, the
1-23     D.A.R.E. program, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, and the
1-24     G.R.E.A.T. program; he also streamlined department operations and
 2-1     enhanced the staff's effectiveness by introducing computer
 2-2     technology; and
 2-3           WHEREAS, Chief Longoria was instrumental in forming the South
 2-4     Texas Auto Theft Enforcement Task Force and the Combined Government
 2-5     Drug Enforcement and Special Crimes Task Force; he was president of
 2-6     the Rio Grande Valley Law Enforcement Chiefs Association and was
 2-7     involved with many worthy local and national professional and civic
 2-8     organizations; and
 2-9           WHEREAS, This highly regarded lawman served on the board of
2-10     policy review of Executive Issues of Policing, sponsored by the
2-11     National Institute of Justice and by Harvard University, and as a
2-12     member of the National Resource Board for Community Policing,
2-13     sponsored by the COPS Programs branch of the U.S. Department of
2-14     Justice; in addition, he was a governing board member and a
2-15     participant in the RIONet Police Information System Project,
2-16     sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Counter-Drug
2-17     Technology Assessment Center Division of ONDCP; and
2-18           WHEREAS, Alex Longoria's lifelong commitment to the safety of
2-19     others brought honor to him and to the McAllen Police Department;
2-20     he was nationally recognized for committing himself to the highest
2-21     standards of honor, integrity, ethics, and professionalism, and his
2-22     life serves as a model of exemplary conduct for law enforcement
2-23     officers everywhere; now, therefore, be it
2-24           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas
2-25     Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Alex Longoria and
2-26     extend deepest sympathy to the members of his family:  to his wife,
2-27     Maria Longoria; to his children, Teresa Elena, Veronica, and
 3-1     Alejandro Longoria II; to his grandson, Joshua Anthony Longoria;
 3-2     and to the other relatives and many friends of this notable public
 3-3     servant; and, be it further
 3-4           RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
 3-5     prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
 3-6     Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Chief Alex
 3-7     Longoria.