[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 60 (Wednesday, May 13, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H3232]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO OFFICER DENNIS FINCH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Stupak) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, yesterday we were on the floor, as it is 
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Week, and we were talking 
about law enforcement and a number of bills we were trying to put forth 
and pass in this Congress, as we normally do during National Law 
Enforcement Officers Memorial Week.
  As founder and cochair of the Law Enforcement Caucus, I spend a lot 
of time on law enforcement issues. In fact, tomorrow at 3:30 in the 
Longworth Building, the Law Enforcement Caucus will be meeting to talk 
about pending legislation we have on body armor and the educational 
school benefits for those dependents of law enforcement officers who 
were killed in the line of duty, the police officers' bill of rights, a 
number of other issues that the Members would like to bring up to 
discuss with the Law Enforcement Caucus.
  Actually, yesterday as we were debating the Visclosky bill, the 
Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act, H.R. 2829, which overwhelmingly 
passed this House; we talked a lot about what happens with police 
officers, and I mentioned a case which happened back in 1974 when I was 
a police officer.
  Unfortunately, at that time, we did not know and the statistic was 
put forth that about every 2 days we lose a police officer. Up in my 
northern Michigan rural community, we lost a police officer in Traverse 
City yesterday. I regret to inform the Nation that Sergeant Dennis 
Finch of the Traverse City Police Department was murdered as he went to 
check on an individual at a residence in Traverse City. Sergeant Dennis 
Finch is survived by his wife Agnes and their two daughters, who are 30 
and 23 years old.
  It is a rather unusual report that we have been picking up in the 
news media about what happened to Sergeant Finch, but I think it 
certainly highlights what police officers go through day in and day out 
in their job. They never know the dangers they face.
  The individual who murdered Sergeant Finch was well-known by police 
officers. They had a number of incidents with the individual, and he 
was described by neighbors as a disturbed man who believed the Mafia 
was after him. And in fact, yesterday, Tuesday, he was actually seen 
with a gun strapped to his hip, a pistol if you will, and it was 
described as a large handgun strapped in a holster; and he came up to 
people and he was talking to people about the Mafia and that the Mafia 
was giving him a hard time.
  It made people nervous. And as often happens, they called police 
officers to investigate. And according to the newspaper articles, the 
assailant here was convinced that the Traverse City Police Department, 
that the cops are the Mafia, and as he told some people, ``Don't make 
any mistake about that.''

                              {time}  2230

  Unfortunately, in our line of work, people unfortunately do die, and 
we should not make any mistake about that. I find it ironic that as we 
were debating those bills that try to help all police officers, we had 
one in our district, at least in northern Michigan, lose his life. That 
is a very rare thing that happens in northern Michigan. Seldom do we 
have that kind of violence, but it surrounds us at all times.
  As we go through National Law Enforcement Memorial Week, I hope we 
will keep Sergeant Finch in mind in some of the legislation we work on 
for law enforcement officers. Those of us who are past law enforcement 
officers, we try to work with this Congress to bring some degree of 
kindness and humanity to a very difficult occupation.
  On Friday, it is usually my role as chair of the Law Enforcement 
Caucus to join in on Police Memorial Day, which is always on May 15, 
and that will be this Friday. This Friday I had planned on actually 
being in Traverse City, part of my district. I will be leaving Thursday 
night and had planned on taking part in a ceremony they hold every year 
in Traverse City on May 15 for fallen law enforcement officers.
  This year's ceremony, unfortunately, will have a much deeper meaning 
for those of us who represent Traverse City and who knew Sergeant 
Finch. I will be in my district in Traverse City Friday and, hopefully, 
will get a chance to express the outrage and regret that this Congress 
feels when any police officer has fallen in the line of duty.
  Our sympathies and deepest regrets go to his wife and his daughters 
and the rest of his family, his friends and fellow officers. This thing 
ended, after Sergeant Finch was shot, probably some 8, 9 hours later in 
a standoff before the assailant was finally apprehended.
  We just ask that the good Lord may give strength to the family and to 
our communities in northern Michigan, and we may have peace returned to 
our northern Michigan communities as we have known before, and that the 
good Lord may take away our pain and bless this family that has 
suffered so much for this country and for Traverse City in northern 
Michigan communities.

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