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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Chief Ron R. Echols of the Missouri City Police |
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Department retired on January 16, 2009, after an exceptional |
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28-year career with that organization; and |
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WHEREAS, A lifelong resident of Missouri City, Ron Echols |
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began working for the police department in the late 1970s as a |
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part-time communications officer, and in 1980, he joined the ranks |
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as a police officer; over the course of his career, he has completed |
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a range of assignments, including public safety officer, field |
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training officer, and detective; in 1995, he was promoted to |
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lieutenant, and he served as commander of the patrol, |
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administration, and criminal investigation divisions before he was |
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appointed assistant chief in 2001; and |
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WHEREAS, Chief Echols assumed the helm of the Missouri City |
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Police Department in August 2003, and with a clear vision for the |
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future, he built impressively on the agency's strengths and made |
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lasting improvements; his reorganization initiative resulted in |
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the creation of a command staff to manage the various divisions, and |
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he expanded the community policing program; in addition, he |
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instituted bike and ATV patrols, modernized the city's police |
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vehicles, and developed a special-crimes unit that operates in |
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conjunction with the Sugar Land and Stafford Police Departments; |
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Chief Echols also encouraged his department's participation in the |
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Best Practices Recognition Program of the Texas Police Chiefs |
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Association, and under his guidance, Missouri City was named the |
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22nd safest American city of its size by Congressional Quarterly; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, A graduate of the FBI National Academy and the FBI |
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Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar, Chief Echols has |
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also earned the Master Peace Officer designation; he has been |
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active in professional organizations such as the FBI National |
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Academy Associates of Texas and the Texas Police Chiefs |
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Association, which he served as Region 14 director and |
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sergeant-at-arms; moreover, he is a former president and member of |
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the executive board of the Houston Area Police Chiefs Association |
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and an associate member of the International Association of Chiefs |
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of Police; and |
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WHEREAS, As Chief Echols takes on his new role as chief of the |
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Live Oak Police Department, he may reflect with pride on the |
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positive influence he has had on his hometown of Missouri City; |
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throughout his distinguished tenure with the city's police force, |
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this esteemed Texan has upheld the highest standards of |
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professionalism and integrity, and his dedicated efforts have |
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contributed immeasurably to the safety and well-being of his fellow |
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citizens; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Chief Ron R. Echols on his |
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retirement from the Missouri City Police Department and extend to |
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him sincere best wishes for continued success and happiness; and, |
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be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Chief Echols as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |