[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 47 (Wednesday, April 10, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S2552]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO THE SOMERSET POLICE DEPARTMENT

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I stand here to pay tribute to the 
honorable men and women, past and present, of the Somerset Police 
Department in Pulaski County, KY, for 125 years of faithful service and 
tireless dedication.
  Founded on March 13, 1888, the Somerset Police Department has 
admirably served the city and surrounding area and to this day 
represents the best of our State's citizens. One example of their 
thorough care for and involvement in the community is their annual 
charity basketball game. Typically, the officers challenge a local 
high-school team to an exhibition match--this year they took on the 
local fire department, with the proceeds from the event going to 
support a local girl who suffers from Type I diabetes. Their reputation 
for ``coming to the rescue'' was displayed in a different way than 
their daily work, but displayed nonetheless, and their efforts 
certainly are appreciated by those in need who benefit from the support 
raised by their charity.
  I rise not only to celebrate those who serve, but also those we have 
lost in service. We are grateful for dedicated officers of the Somerset 
Police Department who risk their very lives to protect and bring order 
to their city.
  At this time, I would like to applaud the Somerset Police Department 
on the 125th anniversary of its founding, and I request that an article 
recognizing this occasion from a Pulaski County, KY, newspaper be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be appear in 
the Record as follows:
       [From the Commonwealth Journal, March 16, 2013]

  125 Years of Service: Somerset Police Department founded March 13, 
                1888--Staff Report, Commonwealth Journal

       Somerset.--The Somerset Police Department recently 
     celebrated 125 years of service in the community.
       The history of SPD dates all the way back to March 13, 
     1888, when Mayor A. Wolf appointed John B. Ingram as the 
     first chief of police for the newly formed City of Somerset.
       The police department would grow along with the city's 
     population and physical boundaries over the next 125 years.
       Still, some have lost their lives in the line of duty.
       ``As the department gets a year older, it is important to 
     remember those officers who lost their lives serving the 
     citizens of our city,'' stated Lt. Shannon Smith, with SPD.
       Somerset Chief of Police Silas West was shot and killed in 
     1928 while attempting to arrest a drunk person on the square. 
     Patrolman Walter McKinley Massingale was shot and killed on 
     Halloween night in 1929 while investigating a bootlegger on 
     South Maple Street. And in 1957, Police Chief Harold Catron 
     was shot on his porch on Jasper Street, and he would later 
     die from those wounds in 1964.
       ``Our 125th anniversary is a milestone to our department,'' 
     said SPD Acting Police Chief Major Doug Nelson. ``Through 
     hard work, rigorous training, and an established level of 
     professionalism, the men and women of the Somerset Police 
     Department will continue to serve our community to make it a 
     safe place to live and work.''

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