[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 37 (Tuesday, April 5, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E534]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING UNDERSHERIFF CURTIS L. WATSON

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 5, 2005

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Stark and I rise today to honor the 
extraordinary contributions of Undersheriff Curtis L. Watson to the 
Alameda County Sheriff's Department over the past 34 years. Curtis 
joined the department in 1970 and steadily climbed its ranks to become 
the undersheriff in 1993, providing excellent service throughout his 
tenure.
  In 1970, Curtis had just completed a tour in the United States Air 
Force. On the advice of his brother, he applied for the Alameda County 
Sheriff's Department, where he was hired as a sheriff's deputy and 
assigned to work at Santa Rita Jail.
  Curtis had worked his way up to the position of lieutenant at Santa 
Rita when he first made the acquaintance of Charles Plummer, the 
Alameda County Sheriff, in 1987. Curtis's competence and confidence 
made a positive impression on the sheriff, who would remember him when 
their paths crossed again a few years later.
  After advancing to captain and becoming the commanding officer of the 
North County Jail in Oakland, Curtis took the commander's examination 
in April 1992, finishing with the highest score of any candidate and 
again catching the attention of Sheriff Plummer. By that time, Curtis 
had made such an impression that when the undersheriff position came 
open in 1993, Sheriff Plummer tapped him to fill it.
  With his promotion to undersheriff, Curtis became not only the 
highest-ranking African American in the Alameda County Sheriff 
Department's 152-year history but also the highest-ranking black 
sheriff's official in the state of California.
  Curtis served as undersheriff from 1993 until his retirement on March 
24, 2005. Only one other undersheriff in the entire history of the 
Alameda County Sheriff's Department served longer than Curtis's 12 
years in the position.
  On the occasion of Curtis Watson's retirement, we would like to honor 
his contributions to law and order in Alameda County over the past 34 
years. He has served with distinction and dedication, breaking down 
barriers and forging new paths. We salute him for his commitment to 
justice and equality in our society, and we are certain that others 
will draw inspiration from his accomplishments for generations to come.

                          ____________________