[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 133 (Wednesday, September 29, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1801]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING ASSISTANT CHIEF STEPHANIE REDDING AND HER HISTORIC CAREER 
                           OF PUBLIC SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 29, 2010

  Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, it is a privilege for me to rise today to 
celebrate the distinguished career of Assistant Police Chief Stephanie 
Redding. After twenty-five years on the force, Stephanie announced her 
plans to retire from the New Haven Police Department and I am honored 
to have this opportunity to join the many family, friends, and 
colleagues who have gathered to thank her for her exemplary service to 
the Department and our community.
  The daughter of a former West Haven fire chief, Stephanie has always 
understood the importance of public service. She chose a career in law 
enforcement and entered the New Haven Police Academy in 1986--still in 
a time when women were not commonplace among the ranks. Stephanie 
started at the New Haven Police Department as a Patrol Officer and 
throughout her career served as a Mounted Patrol, Sergeant, and 
Lieutenant before becoming the first female Assistant Chief in New 
Haven's history.
  Whether as District Manager of the East Shore/Morris Cove District, 
the Officer in Charge of the Family Services Division, or Assistant 
Chief, Stephanie has earned the respect and admiration of her 
colleagues and community leaders alike. Stephanie's tenure has been 
marked by her integrity, professionalism, and compassion. She has twice 
served as acting Chief of Police during transitional phases at the 
Department, and was appointed to the State Victim Advocate Advisory 
Committee. She has also shared her expertise with her colleagues around 
the world, serving as an instructor at the Academy and presenting on 
community policing and other family and children's issues at both 
national and international conferences.
  Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work closely with 
Stephanie on a project we both care deeply about. She has spearheaded 
the collaborative effort between the NHPD and the Yale Child Study 
Center's National Center for Children Exposed to Violence and their 
extraordinary joint multi-disciplinary intervention programs--including 
the Child Development-Community Policing Program. This ground-breaking 
work has changed the way police officers and clinicians respond to 
children in trauma. It has galvanized support services around at-risk 
youth, and it has saved and healed lives.
  Stephanie's contributions to our community and commitment to 
community service extend far beyond her professional career. She 
volunteers with the New Haven Boys and Girls Club, the Yale Child Study 
Center, and the United Way of Greater New Haven, and she has served as 
the cheerleading coach at the Sacred Heart Academy. In all that she 
does, Stephanie touches the lives of others and this is particularly 
true of our young people.
  As a peace officer and a public citizen, Stephanie has been a credit 
to our New Haven community and to the State of Connecticut. A 
trailblazer in our City's history, she has fought hard to protect the 
public and worked to improve the lives of countless New Haven families 
for the better. I, like so many others, consider myself fortunate to 
have had the opportunity to work with Stephanie and find myself in awe 
of the many ways in which she has enriched the lives of others and 
enhanced the quality of life in our community.
  I am so pleased to join her husband, New Haven Police Captain Pat 
Redding, their son Patrick, her parents William ``Wiggy'' and Dolly 
Johnson, as well as all of the family, friends, and colleagues who have 
gathered today to congratulate Assistant Chief Stephanie Redding as she 
celebrates her retirement. I cannot thank her enough for her decades of 
service and innumerable contributions to our community. Stephanie has 
set a standard to which we should all strive and I have no doubt that 
no matter what her future endeavors may be, she will continue to find 
ways in which she can make a difference in the lives of others. My very 
best wishes to her and her family for many more years of health and 
happiness.

                          ____________________