[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 94 (Friday, June 2, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E745]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING GONZALES CHIEF OF POLICE PAUL D. MILLER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JIMMY PANETTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, June 2, 2017

  Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Gonzales Chief of 
Police Paul D. Miller on the occasion of his retirement after thirty-
four years of distinguished service to the community of Gonzales.
   Chief Miller has dedicated his entire career to the people of 
Gonzales, and our communities on the central coast of California. His 
career began in the Monterey County Sherriff's Explorer Program in 1978 
where Chief Miller achieved the rank of Captain, the highest rank in 
that program. After completing the Explorer Program, Chief Miller 
joined the Gonzales Police Department (GPD), first as a reserve 
officer, and then a full-time officer in 1985. After being recognized 
as the Department Officer of the Year in 1987 and 1991, Chief Miller 
was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 1992. He was recognized a third 
time as Officer of the Year in 1995, and as Department Supervisor of 
the Year in 2006 and 2007. In 2010, he was appointed as Chief of Police 
for the City of Gonzales, where he served with distinction for seven 
years.
   A champion of proactive community policing, Chief Miller provided 
important leadership that helped the GPD make important strides in 
reducing gang violence and maintaining Gonzales as one of the safest 
cities on the Central Coast. Under the leadership of Chief Miller, the 
GPD weathered one of the toughest recessions in history, coordinated 
the construction of a new 10,000 square-foot police station, and took a 
leadership role in securing key grants for the police departments of 
South Monterey County. Chief Miller also guided the department as the 
lead South County police agency in securing several important grants 
that helped provide important tools to help break the cycle of gang 
violence that continues to plague our communities on the central coast. 
One of these key grants included $500,000 in funding for the city of 
Gonzales through the California Gang Reduction Intervention and 
Prevention (CalGRIP) Program.
   Mr. Speaker, as a former prosecutor who has worked closely with 
local police to prosecute violent criminal gang members, I know from 
experience that the work of taking and keeping these and other 
dangerous people off the streets of our communities is not easy. It 
requires dedication, perseverance, and the selfless willingness to put 
oneself in harm's way in service to others. Chief Paul Miller certainly 
embodies these qualities, and I whole-heartedly thank him for this 
service, and congratulate him on his well-deserved retirement. There is 
no doubt that his commitment to justice, security, and prosperity for 
his community will be missed.

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