[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 96 (Wednesday, July 11, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1300]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            TRIBUTE TO THE LATE POLICE OFFICER LOIS MARRERO

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM DAVIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 10, 2001

  Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, today I joined thousands of 
Floridians in saying goodbye to one of Tampa's finest, Police Officer 
Lois Marrero, who was struck down when a bank robber opened fire on 
four pursuing officers. Marrero was Tampa's first female police officer 
killed in the line of duty, but she will be remembered in Florida for 
so much more.
  A devoted officer, Marrero never let her diminutive stature slow her 
down. Today, her friends and colleagues recalled her feisty spirit, her 
dedication to the job and as one officer described it, her ``heart that 
was twice as big as her physical size.''
  Marrero, who was just 15 months shy of retirement, impressed her 
superiors throughout her career for her energy and professionalism. She 
was praised for her crime fighting efforts in Ybor City's 
neighborhoods, and as head of the Tampa Police Department's community 
affairs bureau and gang suppression units, Marrero was credited for 
cutting back a rash of car thefts that plagued our city in the mid-
1990s.
  To her friends and family, Marrero will be remembered as a caring 
person who was always ready to lend a helping hand. In the words of one 
neighbor, Lois Marrero was ``the kind of person you could count on.''
  For those of us who never had the privilege of getting to know 
Officer Marrero, it is our duty to remember Lois for the ultimate 
sacrifice that she made to keep our community safe. This terrible 
tragedy reminds us that law enforcement officers put their lives on the 
line every day to protect us and our families, friends and neighbors. 
In honoring Lois Marrero, we show our gratitude to the entire law 
enforcement community.
  So today, on behalf of the citizens of Tampa Bay, who came together 
this week in an outpouring of sympathy, prayers and tributes, I thank 
Officer Marrero and Tampa's Police Department for their commitment to 
our neighborhoods and I send our deepest sympathies to Lois' family, 
friends and colleagues for this great loss.

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