[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 13 (Thursday, January 20, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H270]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING DETECTIVE JAMES STANKO

  (Ms. WILD asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. WILD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Allentown 
Police Detective and Community Liaison Officer James Stanko, a man who 
dedicated his life's work to bridging the divide between police 
officers and the community they serve.
  Officer Stanko died on Monday, a huge loss for our community, but his 
legacy lives on through the countless lives he touched.
  Officer Stanko wasn't known for sitting idly at a desk. His passions 
lay out in the community where he was known for mentoring our kids, 
whether it was through coaching basketball, talking at schools, or 
offering life lessons at the children's clinic.
  As someone who worked closely with him put it, ``Our kids called him 
family.'' He was a calming, yet dependable force that everyone, 
especially our youth, could turn to for guidance and support.
  Officer Stanko never stopped trying to achieve his ultimate goal of 
connecting the police department to the people that it serves.
  Working as an Allentown police officer for 13 years, Stanko never 
wavered in his values of honesty, integrity, and, most notably, respect 
for others. I was inspired by his sincere love for public service, as 
well as his passion for our community that he was proud to call home. 
He will be deeply missed.

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