[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 29 (Monday, March 10, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E417]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING MONTEBELLO CHIEF OF POLICE ``STEVE'' SIMONIAN FOR 30 YEARS OF 
                                SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ESTEBAN EDWARD TORRES

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 10, 1997

  Mr. TORRES.  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Montebello Chief 
of Police George Stephen Simonian. On Saturday, March 8, 1997, Steve's 
family, friends and colleagues at the city of Montebello honored him 
for his many years of service to the greater Montebello community.
  Steve began his career as a police officer for the city of Montebello 
at the young age of 21, performing duties as assigned, including 
traffic patrol, report writing, radio dispatcher, and desk information 
officer. Five years later, he was one of the first officers to achieve 
senior officer rank. He was given the duties of a patrol officer with 
merit pay, in addition to training and supervisorial responsibilities. 
Quickly moving up the ranks, the next year, Steve was promoted to 
narcotics detective, where he investigated violations of narcotics laws 
and arrested violators. This developed into an undercover position, 
with Steve working as a consultant to other agencies, due to his 
expertise in this field.
  In September 1979, Steve was again promoted, to the rank of sergeant. 
He remained in intelligence, supervising the unit while instilling the 
high standards of performance that remain today. In August 1982, Steve 
was selected to supervise the newly consolidated narcotics and 
intelligence unit. Under his leadership, narcotics seizures rose 
dramatically, and conviction rates increased. In 1985, Steve was 
promoted to the rank of captain, and 3 years later to the rank of 
deputy police chief. On July 1, 1989, Steve was promoted to chief of 
police, responsible for overseeing the operations and activities of the 
city of Montebello's police department.
  Throughout his career with the Montebello Police Department, Steve 
has received over 29 awards from Federal, State and local agencies, 
including the American Legion's Police Officer of the Year, and has 
twice been bestowed with the city of Montebello's highest management 
award, ``Manager of the Year,'' an accomplishment unmatched by any 
other city official. In addition to the numerous awards he has 
received, Steve has maintained membership in several professional 
organizations throughout his career, including the California Peace 
Officers Association; Latino Peace Officers Association; Oriental Peace 
Officers Association; International Footprint Association; San Gabriel 
Valley Chiefs Association; president-elect of the Los Angeles County 
Police Chiefs Association; and the Los Angeles County Anti-Drug Abuse 
Committee.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I ask my colleagues to join 
me in paying tribute to a good friend and distinguished public servant, 
Montebello Chief of Police Steve Simonian. I proudly join the city of 
Montebello in honoring Steve for his lifetime of contributions to 
public safety and law enforcement in the greater Montebello community.

                          ____________________