[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 78 (Friday, May 23, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1069-E1070]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO CHIEF LEN SMITH

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 22, 2003

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, at a time when crime concerns are on 
every citizen's mind, those who have dedicated their lives to law 
enforcement are to be commended. I would like to make a special 
commendation to Chief Len Smith, a devoted law enforcement officer from 
Indiana's First Congressional District. Chief Smith will be retiring on 
June 1, 2003, after having served the people of Porter for 34 years. 
Chief Smith will be honored by his family, friends, and members of the 
Porter Police Department at an open house on Sunday, May 25, 2003 at 
the Porter Community Building.
  Len Smith, a native of Porter County and a resident of the Town of 
Porter for 42 years, has always been a man of compassion. He began his 
adult life by serving in the United States Army from 1966-1968. Upon 
his return to Northwest Indiana, Chief Smith thought that he would be a 
school teacher, having degrees in both biology and anthropology. He 
began police work because it afforded him the opportunity to work 
afternoons and midnights, allowing him to spend quality time with his 
family.
  Smith's distinguished career in law enforcement has made his 
community and nation a better place in which to live and work. His 
outstanding motivational skills and unmatched charisma helped mold him 
into a natural leader. For more than 34 years, Len Smith has worked for 
the Porter Police Department and he has served as the town's police 
chief from 1974 to 1993 and from 1996 to the present. In 1993, when a 
former Town Council appointed a new chief from outside the town, over 
200 people packed the Porter municipal building to

[[Page E1070]]

support Smith. The next Town Council immediately reinstated the popular 
Smith.
  During his tenure with the Department, Chief Smith has demonstrated a 
sincere love for the community in which he lives. While on the force, 
Smith was presented with the American Legion Life Saving Award for 
saving two men from drowning. While Chief Smith has dedicated 
considerable time and energy to his work with the Porter Police 
Department and protecting the lives of others, he has never limited the 
time he gives to his most important interest, his family. He and his 
wife Diana have two children, Todd and Molly.
  On this special day, I offer my heartfelt congratulations to Chief 
Smith. His large circle of family and friends can be proud of the 
contributions this prominent individual has made to the law enforcement 
community and the First Congressional District. Mr. Speaker, I ask that 
you and my other distinguished colleagues join me in commending Chief 
Smith for his lifetime of service and dedication to the people of 
Northwest Indiana and the citizens of the United States. He worked hard 
to make the Town of Porter a safer place in which to live and work. I 
sincerely wish him a long, happy, healthy, and productive retirement.

                          ____________________