[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 54 (Thursday, March 23, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4520-S4521]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


            A TRIBUTE TO LARRY PLOTT AN OUTSTANDING IDAHOAN

 Mr. KEMPTHORNE. Mr. President, I rise today to honor Mr. Larry 
Plott, the current director of the Idaho Peace Officers Standards and 
Training Academy, who has announced that he will be retiring March 31, 
1995, after 37 years of service to the State of Idaho. Larry has had a 
distinguished career in law enforcement, and I would like to enumerate 
a number of his achievements and accomplishments.
  Though he was born in Kansas, Larry was raised on a farm south of the 
city of Twin Falls. Although he liked farming, he always had a dream of 
being an Idaho State patrolman. Upon graduation from Twin Falls High 
School in 1956, he went to San Francisco where he attended the City 
College of San Francisco, graduating with a degree in criminology.
  At this point, he returned to Twin Falls where he was hired to work 
as a dispatcher and jailer with the Twin Falls County Sheriff's Office. 
He married Marilyn Ruhter from Filer on March 1, 1959, and was promoted 
to roving deputy that same year. It was at this time that he began an 
illustrious career of revolver and automatic handgun shooting. Over the 
25 years that Larry shot competitively, he garnered over 250 trophies 
for State and regional championships and was awarded the Distinguished 
Pistol Shooting Medal for .22 .38 and .45 caliber by the United States 
Army Reserve, one of only four Idahoans ever to receive this honor. He 
also has been a member of the FBI's Possible Club since 1972. To 
achieve a Possible, one must shoot a perfect score over a 50-yard 
course from various positions using both the left and right hand. Larry 
also augmented his shooting expertise by learning the art of quick-
draw. In the early 1970's he met Officer Dan Combs from the Oklahoma 
Highway Patrol, who was a national quick-draw specialist. Inspired by 
Combs' influence, Larry not only learned and mastered quick-draw 
himself, but he then incorporated a demonstration of the technique into 
his firearms safety programs at local schools and other community and 
civic events.
  In April 1960, Larry joined the Idaho State Police (ISP) and was 
stationed at the Huetter Port of Entry in Coeur d'Alene. After a year 
there, he returned to Twin Falls and worked at the Hollister Port of 
Entry until 1962, at which time his dream came true and he was promoted 
to the ISP patrol. Driving the familiar black and white stripped car 
#476, with two whip antennas flipping in the back, Larry became a 
familiar site throughout the District #4 Twin Falls area. After three 
years he was transferred to the Wood River Valley as the ISP resident 
patrolman, where he stayed until 1969.
  In January 1970, he was offered a position as a training coordinator 
at the newly created Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) 
Academy in Pocatello, then under the auspices of the Idaho State 
University. He resigned from the ISP, and moved his family to 
Pocatello. After two years as training coordinator he was promoted to 
Director of POST, a position where he has been responsible for training 
all the law enforcement officers throughout the entire state of Idaho.
  Since his installment as Director of POST, Larry has supervised and 
instructed at all of the 105 sessions that have come through the 
training academy. Officers in a session attend POST for seven weeks, 
and upon completion of the basic course, are awarded a diploma of 
certification. These officers come from all the law enforcement 
agencies in the state including the Idaho State Police, the Idaho Fish 
& Game, Idaho Parks & Recreation, port-of-entry officers, prosecuting 
attorneys, and all county and city officers. Idaho law requires that an 
officer must be certified by POST to remain in law enforcement.
  As Director of POST, Larry has set new exemplary training standards 
that other states are now attempting to follow. In 1972, Larry attended 
the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and was impressed by the high 
quality of training given to the agents. There, attention was not only 
given to firearms expertise, but to physical fitness and knowledge of 
the law. Larry has focused on all three of these areas at POST, and has 
developed the Idaho POST Academy into one of the finest police 
academies in the United States.
  The programs and changes that have been implemented by Larry since he 
took over as Director of POST and numerous and impressive. He:
  Instituted the first mandatory physical fitness requirements for the 
POST program in the United States.
  Compiled/assembled the first Abridged Edition of the Idaho Criminal 
Code for Idaho police officers.
  Developed the first law enforcement career camps for Idaho youth. For 
this he received the Kiwanis International Award for Service to the 
Community and the Citizens of Idaho.
  Brought the first Executive Command College to Idaho, taught by the 
FBI.
  Developed requirements for 15 categories of training certification 
and classification for police, deputies, and detention officers. He 
also developed a classification program for dispatchers and jailers.
  Created a spouse relationship program for police officers, which was 
the first of its kind in Idaho and the United States.
  Originated the Governor's Ten pistol competition.
  Authored, proposed, and was instrumental in getting a fee assessment 
passed through the Idaho legislature for funding of the POST Academy.
  Obtained college credit approval for courses taught at POST, allowing 
officers to earn up to 12 college credits.
  Developed a public open house at the POST Academy.
  Designed the following training certificates: Basic, Intermediate, 
Advanced, Master, Supervisor, Management, Executive, Jailer, Canine, 
Reserve, Marine Deputies, and Dispatchers.
  Not only has Larry strived for a higher level of excellence for all 
the police officers in Idaho, but has applied those standards to 
himself, and is one of the best examples of an individual who practices 
what he preaches. For example, he not only designed the training 
certificates awarded by POST, but earned several of them himself, 
including the Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, Supervisor, Management, 
and Instructor. The Idaho Department of Law Enforcement recently 
awarded him the Outstanding Administrator Award, one of their highest 
honors.
  Larry has written and had numerous articles published in various 
bulletins and magazines including: The FBI Bulletin, The Winning Edge, 
and The IPOA Magazine. He has also written special segments for the 
Idaho Association of Counties and Cities, and for the past 18 years has 
published the POST Bulletin. He is currently the President of the 
International Association of State Law Enforcement Training Directors 
(IASLET) for the northwest Region, and is the Past President of the 
National Association of State Directors of Law Enforcement Training 
(NASDLET). Larry also served as President of the Idaho Peace Officers 
Association (IPOA), and is currently a board member of the Law 
Enforcement Television Network (LETN).
  Always urging his officers to stay physically fit, Larry began 
running in 1975 and has continued to this day. He has competed in 
several races since then, and won Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in 
varying events at both the World Police/Fire Olympic Games in 
Vancouver, and the northwest regional Games. He also served as Director 
for the 1990 Northwest Police/Fire Olympic Games in Boise, and is a 
current board member for the northwest region. In 1983 he ran the Great 
Potato Marathon in Boise. He and his wife Marilyn have already 
announced their intent to hike the entire Appalachian Trail this year 
which extends from Georgia to Maine.
  Finally, I would like to commend Larry not only for his brilliant 
career in law enforcement, but for his outstanding contribution to the 
officers and individuals who have been blessed by his service. He and 
his wife Marilyn have raised four beautiful children, Angela, Tony, 
Stacey, and Marty, who are now pursuing careers and raising families of 
their own.
  Larry's contribution to Idaho has been great and extensive. However, 
I know that his retirement from the 
[[Page S4521]] POST Academy will be the opening of another door and a 
new challenge for this very exceptional individual. I am proud to have 
had the opportunity to honor him here today.


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