[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 152 (Tuesday, August 31, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E942]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             RECOGNIZING THE SERVICE OF CHIEF JEFF S. HELMS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RALPH NORMAN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 31, 2021

  Mr. NORMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding 
service of Jeff S. Helms, a beloved community leader and Police Chief 
of the Fort Mill Police Department.
  Chief Helms has dedicated nearly four decades of his life to 
protecting our community. In 1983, upon the incorporation of the city 
of Tega Cay, Chief Helms was one of the first patrolmen hired to serve 
the city. He went on to serve the York County Sheriff's Department, 
primarily working as a detective dealing with armed robberies and 
homicides.
  In 1994, Chief Helms was hired as the Police Chief of the Town of 
Fort Mill. Hired at the early age of 31, Chief Helms was the youngest 
and longest serving Police Chief in Fort Mill History. When he was 
first hired, Fort Mill's population was around 3,500 and the department 
only had 11 officers, 5 patrol cars, and one computer. Chief Helms has 
built a department of highly qualified officers and employees who 
selflessly serve the town with dedication and pride. During his tenure, 
the department has grown to 61 officers and 71 total employees who 
serve a town of approximately 25,000 people. Throughout this time of 
unprecedented growth, Chief Helms and the officers of the Fort Mill 
Police Department have helped the town consistently rank in the top 9 
safest cities in South Carolina. ln the words of incoming Fort Mill 
Police Chief Bryan Zachary, ``Chief Helms leaves large shoes to fill.''
  Throughout his 27 years of unparalleled leadership at the Fort Mill 
Police Department, Chief Helms has been recognized with numerous awards 
and honors. He was voted Police Officer of the Year by Fort Mill Times 
and was honored with the Local Hero Award by the Fort Mill Optimist 
Club, among other awards. He is also recognized as a founding member of 
the York County Multijurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit. Created in 
the early years of his tenure as Chief, this was a groundbreaking and 
highly successful collaboration between departments that has been used 
as a model for other departments in South Carolina and around the 
Nation.
  The career of Chief Helms is a testament to all the good our men and 
women in blue do for our communities. He leaves behind a legacy of 
progress and success. On behalf of the 5th District of South Carolina, 
I thank Chief Helms for his service and wish him a happy retirement. 
Fort Mill has been truly blessed to have him as a community guardian 
for the last 27 years.

                          ____________________