[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 42 (Thursday, March 21, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E366-E367]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING THE CAREER OF CAPTAIN JOHN DeMARCO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRIAN HIGGINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 21, 2013

  Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the extraordinary 
career of Captain John DeMarco, upon the occasion of his retirement 
from the Niagara Falls Police Department.
   A third-generation police officer, Captain DeMarco has a proud 
family legacy of public service. His grandfather was well-known as a 
Niagara Falls motorcycle cop. His father was a chief in the New York 
State Park Police, serving for forty years. His brother, Bob, will 
remain active in the Niagara Falls Police force as a Juvenile 
Detective.
   Prior to his career in the Niagara Falls Police Department, Captain 
DeMarco pursued higher education, earning a degree from Niagara 
University in 1972. After graduation, he enlisted in the United States 
Marine Corps, honorably serving our nation for twelve years.
   Upon returning home to Niagara Falls, Captain DeMarco earned a place 
in the police department's patrol unit. He rose through the ranks, 
becoming a patrol lieutenant, then a deputy to Superintendent 
Christopher Carlin in 2000. When Superintendent Carlin left for active 
military duty from November 2001 to October 2002, he entrusted Captain 
DeMarco to serve as acting police superintendent, a role he continued 
to serve under Carlin's successor, John Chella.
   As an officer, Captain DeMarco understood and revered the police 
department's immense responsibility to protect their neighbors. He 
sought to build trusting relationships with community members, working 
in conjunction to create a safer Niagara Falls. Active within the 
community himself, he is a founding member of the Niagara Falls Law 
Enforcement Foundation and continues to serve on the Niagara Police 
Athletic League.
   Captain DeMarco served Niagara Falls with great pride and bravery. 
On February 7, 2009, two fellow officers, Walter Nichols Jr. and 
Michael D. Bird, were shot on South Avenue. The police force united, 
performing at their

[[Page E367]]

best to protect citizens and colleagues. Captain DeMarco valued the 
special bond between officers, and the great responsibility entrusted 
to the police force as the first to respond during crises.
   Mr. Speaker, I thank you for allowing me a few moments to 
acknowledge the career of Captain John DeMarco. I am grateful for his 
twenty-six years of service to Niagara Falls, and I wish him the best 
of luck as he brings his expertise in law enforcement to his new role 
as a faculty member in the Niagara University Criminal Justice 
Department.

                          ____________________