[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 8, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E36]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E36]]
      HONORING THE RETIREMENT OF UNION CITY POLICE LIEUTENANT DON 
                              SCHUITEMAKER

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, January 8, 2003

  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, on January 25, 2003 the Union City Police 
Department will celebrate the retirement of one of its finest officers, 
Lieutenant Don Schuitemaker.
  In his 28-year law enforcement career Lieutenant Schuitemaker has 
served as a model for school policing, trained other officers, and 
worked with juveniles and the narcotics unit.
  Lieutenant Schuitemaker served his entire career with the Union City 
Police Department. He joined the force on October 25, 1974, after 
attending the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department Academy, one of the 
toughest in the State, where he achieved an expert marksman's 
medallion.
  Lieutenant Schuitemaker became part of the Union City Special 
Enforcement Response Team (SWAT), in 1978, and in 1984 he retired from 
the team as one of its leaders.
  In 1979, he became the department's first School Resource Officer, a 
new and innovative position. Based largely on Lieutenant Schuitemaker's 
success in that position, and in cooperation with the New Haven Unified 
School District, the number of School Resource Officers positions was 
increased. The Union City program has become a model for other law 
enforcement agencies to follow, partly as a result of Lieutenant 
Schuitemaker's accomplishments.
  Lieutenant Schuitemaker was promoted to sergeant in 1981, and served 
as Personnel and Training Manager before being selected to supervise 
the Southern Alameda County Narcotics Enforcement Team, a tri-city 
narcotics and vice task force. In 1989, he was selected to supervise 
the department's Juvenile Unit.
  In 1992, he transferred to patrol duty, where in addition to typical 
Watch Commander duties, he supervised the training of new officers as 
the Field Training Officer Program Supervisor. He later worked in the 
Traffic Unit, where he was instrumental in bringing back motorcycles as 
an effective enforcement tool, and as a true ``motor cop'' rode the 
motorcycle throughout his tour of duty.
  In 2000, he was promoted to Acting Lieutenant, and then to 
Lieutenant. During that time, Lieutenant Schuitemaker acted as a Field 
Operations Officer, overseeing the operation of the department's patrol 
section. He holds basic, intermediate, advanced, supervisory, and 
management Peace Officer Standards and Training certificates.
  I am honored to join the colleagues of Lieutenant Schuitemaker to 
commend his many years of dedicated and exemplary service to law 
enforcement. His commitment to excellence has left its irreplaceable 
mark on the Union City Police Department.

                          ____________________