[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 48 (Thursday, April 27, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E640-E641]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         IN MEMORY OF ED DAVIS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELTON GALLEGLY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 27, 2006

  Mr. GALLEGLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in memory of my friend, former Los 
Angeles police chief and former California State Senator Ed Davis.
  In the days since Ed died Saturday at age 89 in San Luis Obispo, 
California, many adjectives have been thrown around, including his 
moniker of ``Crazy Ed.'' But Ed Davis was crazy like a fox. He was 
tough, intelligent, and perhaps most importantly, innovative.
  Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ed Davis started his police career as 
a beat cop and never forgot that. One of his many accomplishments as 
police chief was the creation of the Los Angeles Police Memorial 
Foundation to help families of officers killed in the line of duty.
  He also is credited with creating community policing programs that 
were at first ridiculed, then copied across the country. His twenty 
principals of policing are still studied. He used to tell his officers 
that good policing means saving a life rather than taking one. But he 
was tough when he needed to be. Perhaps the statement most widely 
quoted is Ed's suggestion to hang airliner hijackers at the airport. He 
also stood up to city officials over law enforcement funding by telling 
the citizens to ``bar your doors, buy a police dog, call us when we're 
available and pray.''
  As we all know, innovation is fun, but it's also worthless if it's 
ineffective. Ed Davis' policies were very effective. While crime 
increased 55 percent across the country during Ed's tenure, it fell 1 
percent in Los Angeles.
  Ed retired from the LAPD in 1978 and ran successfully for the State 
Senate 2 years later. A year later I ran for the City of Simi Valley 
City Council. Ed represented Simi Valley for the 7 years I served as 
mayor of the city. He never tried to impose his will on the city, but 
was always ready, willing, and able to help the city grow and prosper 
during those years.
  After he retired from the Senate in 1992, Ed Davis became an elder 
statesmen to police departments and State officials. His innovations 
live on.
  Mr. Speaker, I know my colleagues will join me in honoring Ed Davis' 
life and accomplishments, and in expressing our condolences to his 
wife, Bobbie, his children and grandchildren, and his many, many 
friends. Godspeed, Ed.

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