H.R. No. 120

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Chief Ron R. Echols of the Missouri City Police
	Department retired on January 16, 2009, after an exceptional
	28-year career with that organization; and
	WHEREAS, A lifelong resident of Missouri City, Ron Echols
	began working for the police department in the late 1970s as a
	part-time communications officer, and in 1980, he joined the ranks
	as a police officer; over the course of his career, he has completed
	a range of assignments, including public safety officer, field
	training officer, and detective; in 1995, he was promoted to
	lieutenant, and he served as commander of the patrol,
	administration, and criminal investigation divisions before he was
	appointed assistant chief in 2001; and
	WHEREAS, Chief Echols assumed the helm of the Missouri City
	Police Department in August 2003, and with a clear vision for the
	future, he built impressively on the agency's strengths and made
	lasting improvements; his reorganization initiative resulted in
	the creation of a command staff to manage the various divisions, and
	he expanded the community policing program; in addition, he
	instituted bike and ATV patrols, modernized the city's police
	vehicles, and developed a special-crimes unit that operates in
	conjunction with the Sugar Land and Stafford Police Departments;
	Chief Echols also encouraged his department's participation in the
	Best Practices Recognition Program of the Texas Police Chiefs
	Association, and under his guidance, Missouri City was named the
	22nd safest American city of its size by Congressional Quarterly;
	and
	WHEREAS, A graduate of the FBI National Academy and the FBI
	Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar, Chief Echols has
	also earned the Master Peace Officer designation; he has been
	active in professional organizations such as the FBI National
	Academy Associates of Texas and the Texas Police Chiefs
	Association, which he served as Region 14 director and
	sergeant-at-arms; moreover, he is a former president and member of
	the executive board of the Houston Area Police Chiefs Association
	and an associate member of the International Association of Chiefs
	of Police; and
	WHEREAS, As Chief Echols takes on his new role as chief of the
	Live Oak Police Department, he may reflect with pride on the
	positive influence he has had on his hometown of Missouri City;
	throughout his distinguished tenure with the city's police force,
	this esteemed Texan has upheld the highest standards of
	professionalism and integrity, and his dedicated efforts have
	contributed immeasurably to the safety and well-being of his fellow
	citizens; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
	Legislature hereby congratulate Chief Ron R. Echols on his
	retirement from the Missouri City Police Department and extend to
	him sincere best wishes for continued success and happiness; and,
	be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
	prepared for Chief Echols as an expression of high regard by the
	Texas House of Representatives.
	Howard of Fort Bend
	Straus Gattis Menendez
	Allen Geren Merritt
	Alonzo Giddings Miklos
	Alvarado Gonzales Miller of Comal
	Anchia Gonzalez Toureilles Miller of Erath
	Anderson Guillen Moody
	Aycock Gutierrez Morrison
	Berman Hamilton Naishtat
	Bohac Hancock Oliveira
	Bolton Hardcastle Olivo
	Bonnen Harless Orr
	Branch Harper-Brown Ortiz, Jr.
	Brown of Kaufman Hartnett Otto
	Brown of Brazos Heflin Parker
	Burnam Hernandez Patrick
	Button Herrero Paxton
	Callegari Hilderbran Peña
	Castro Hochberg Phillips
	Chavez Hodge Pickett
	Chisum Homer Pierson
	Christian Hopson Pitts
	Cohen Howard of Fort Bend Quintanilla
	Coleman Howard of Travis Raymond
	Cook Hughes Riddle
	Corte Hunter Rios Ybarra
	Crabb Isett Ritter
	Craddick Jackson Rodriguez
	Creighton Jones Rose
	Crownover Keffer Sheffield
	Darby Kent Shelton
	Davis of Harris King of Parker Smith of Tarrant
	Davis of Dallas King of Taylor Smith of Harris
	Deshotel King of Zavala Smithee
	Driver Kleinschmidt Solomons
	Dukes Kolkhorst Strama
	Dunnam Kuempel Swinford
	Dutton Laubenberg Taylor
	Edwards Legler Thibaut
	Eiland Leibowitz Thompson
	Eissler Lewis Truitt
	Elkins Lucio III Turner of Tarrant
	England Madden Turner of Harris
	Farabee Maldonado Vaught
	Farias Mallory Caraway Veasey
	Farrar Marquez Villarreal
	Fletcher Martinez Vo
	Flores Martinez Fischer Walle
	Flynn McCall Weber
	Frost McClendon Woolley
	Gallego McReynolds Zerwas
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 120 was adopted by the House on
	February 26, 2009, by a non-record vote.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House