[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 32 (Thursday, March 13, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E470]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           TRIBUTE TO CHIEF OF INVESTIGATIONS, JOHN W. PEADEN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOE SCARBOROUGH

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 13, 1997

  Mr. SCARBOROUGH. Mr. Speaker, on March 31, 1997 the citizens of 
northwest Florida and the State of Florida will be losing a man who has 
dedicated his life to protecting the people of Florida and ensuring the 
triumph of justice in our community. This gentleman has distinguished 
himself as a community leader, a dedicated law enforcer, and one of our 
Nation's leaders in the war on drugs. The man I speak about today is 
Mr. John Peaden of the Office of the State Attorney in the First 
Circuit of Florida.
  I could praise Mr. Peaden for his 25 years of law enforcement, during 
which he served as a Florida State trooper, a member of the Okaloosa 
County Sheriff's Department, and the Office of the State Attorney. I 
could mention the modernization and computerization that Mr. Peaden 
brought to the investigations department over the last 16 years with 
the State Attorney's Office. Or I could applaud his tireless efforts to 
protect our children from illegal drugs through his efforts on the 
Okaloosa-Walton County Drug Task Force. But I'm sure John would say 
that those accomplishments were just part of his duty.
  However in my opinion Mr. Speaker, John has gone above and beyond the 
call of duty throughout his distinguished career in the field of 
criminal justice. At a time when our Nation calls out for principled 
leadership from public officials, it is fitting that today we honor a 
law enforcement professional who always went the extra mile to protect 
our citizens while striving to support and defend the Constitution of 
the United States. Mr. Peaden has known, better than most, that while 
trying to protect our quality of life, we must respect the God given 
rights of freedom.
  John's overall attitude and dedication to public service has been a 
model in the lives of the hundreds of law enforcement officers and 
professionals that he has trained, supervised, and encouraged. His 
legacy will remind new officers that when at all possible, law 
enforcement officers should go beyond the call of duty to assist 
citizens in any way possible and to protect our justice system from any 
foe, foreign or domestic.
  As John departs from the Office of the State Attorney, he can take 
pride in knowing that he influenced so many people in a positive way. 
As a father of two young boys, I sleep better at night knowing that our 
streets our safer and that our children are protected because of the 
life-long efforts of John Peaden.

                          ____________________