[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 37 (Tuesday, February 28, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E465-E466]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                 TRIBUTE OF CHIEF WILLIAM ``BILL'' BAKER

                                 ______


                          HON. JULIAN C. DIXON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 28, 1995
  Mr. DIXON. Mr. Speaker, on Friday, March 10, 1995, family, friends, 
and colleagues of Chief of Detectives William ``Bill'' Baker will pay 
tribute to him at a retirement dinner in his honor at the Hotel 
Intercontinental in Los Angeles. This affair will follow--by 4 days--
Bill's official retirement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's 
Department where he has served with great distinction for nearly four 
decades. I am honored and pleased to have this opportunity to salute 
Bill and to share with my colleagues in the House of Representatives a 
brief retrospective of his outstanding career.
  During his exemplary career in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's 
Department, Bill has held a variety of assignments, including commander 
of the court services division; technical services division; field 
operations region II; and the detective division. As a commander, he 
commanded field operations region II, and as a captain, he directed 
operations at the West Hollywood, Altadena, and Lennox Stations. Other 
assignments have included an investigative position in the narcotics 
bureau as well as patrol assignments at the Lennox and Firestone 
Stations. In addition, Chief Baker served as sheriff's department's 
civil service advocate.
  [[Page E466]] Bill's advancement through the ranks is especially 
noteworthy. He joined the sheriff's department at a time when 
opportunities for minorities were--at best--scarce. But Bill was not 
your typical individual. He was eager to learn the ropes and possessed 
the commitment and tenacity to assume the important responsibilities 
that would eventually lead him to a stellar 36-year career with the 
sheriff's department.
  Along the way, he earned a masters degree in public communications 
from Pepperdine University, and masters and bachelor of sciences 
degrees in criminal justice from the California State University, Los 
Angeles. In addition, he graduated from the prestigious Federal Bureau 
of Investigation's National Academy, located in Quantico, VA.
  In recognition of his exemplary career in law enforcement, Chief 
Baker has received numerous awards and honors, including the Los 
Angeles County Valor Award, the Criminal Courts Bar Association, and 
the California city of Lawndale Distinguished Service Award.
  Along with the myriad contributions he has made in law enforcement, 
Chief Baker has also devoted considerable time to several outside 
organizations. He has chaired and/or served on several boards, such as 
the Criminal Justice Committee of the National Conference of Christians 
and Jews; the Southern California Chapter of the National Organization 
of Black Law Enforcement Executives; and the United Way South Central 
Youth Violence Roundtable Committee. From 1980 to 1988, he was an 
associate professor of criminal justice at California State University 
at Los Angeles.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize and salute Chief William 
``Bill'' Baker's superior career in law enforcement. He has established 
a legacy of excellence that the law enforcement community and all 
Angelenos can look to with great pride and admiration.
  Please join me in wishing Bill best wishes for a long and healthy 
retirement, and in extending congratulations to him as he enters 
another chapter in his life--one that we trust will be filled with many 
hours listening to swinging and melodious jazz and making plenty of 
trips to the racquet ball courts. Join me also in acknowledging his 
lovely wife, Pearl, and their adult children, Arlyce and William.


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