[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 121 (Wednesday, July 29, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1172-E1173]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF THE OKALOOSA COUNTY, FLORIDA 
                          SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 29, 2015

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 
Centennial Anniversary of the Okaloosa County, Florida Sheriff's 
Department.
  As a former Deputy Sheriff, I understand the important and sometimes 
underappreciated role that law enforcement officers play in local 
communities across the Nation. In Northwest Florida, we are fortunate 
to have many world-class Sheriff's Departments and Police Departments 
that are working each and every day to protect their neighbors and 
community. For the last 100 years, the Okaloosa County Sheriff's 
Department has served a thriving community that has grown from a 
population of less than 10,000 when the department was created to a 
home for nearly 200,000 people today.

[[Page E1173]]

Yet, while the population has increased nearly twentyfold over the past 
century, the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Department has always upheld 
their mission to ``ensure fair and equal administration of the law, 
safeguarding civil liberties and preserving public safety and doing so 
with professionalism and unity of purpose, while being good stewards of 
the public's trust.''
  From the first Okaloosa County Sheriff, Benjamin Haywood Sutton, who 
initially funded the department with his own money, through to the 
current Sheriff, Larry Ashley, 15 different men have served as Sheriff, 
while countless have joined the force as deputies. Each and every one 
of those selfless men and women chose to stand up and serve their 
communities as officers of the law, and while they do not ask for any 
recognition in return, they certainly deserve our gratitude and thanks. 
There is no greater honor than to swear an oath to our Constitution to 
serve and protect the lives of your fellow man at the risk of your own 
either at home or abroad, and the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Department 
has shown over its 100 year history that it is dedicated to serving the 
people of Okaloosa County.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am proud to 
recognize the accomplishments and the service the Okaloosa County 
Florida Sheriff's Department has provided to the community over the 
last 100 years.

                          ____________________