[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 103 (Thursday, June 16, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E637]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





 HONORING JAN ZIMMERMAN ON HER RETIREMENT AS CHIEF OF POLICE IN RAYMORE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. VICKY HARTZLER

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 16, 2022

  Mrs. HARTZLER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the distinguished 
career of Chief Jan Zimmerman of the Raymore Police Department. After 
more than four decades of selfless service working in public safety, 
Chief Zimmerman has announced her intent to retire. She has established 
an inspiring career and legacy that is a true testament to the value 
Missouri's public servants bring to their communities.
  Beginning a career in public safety in 1979, Jan served the Kansas 
City Police Department (KCPD) as a dispatcher; shortly thereafter, she 
attended the Kansas City Police Academy and was sworn in as a KCPD 
police officer in 1982. Throughout her career in law enforcement, Jan 
served the KCPD with distinction by rising through the ranks of 
sergeant (1987), captain (1994), and ultimately concluded her tenure as 
major (2000). Jan holds a BA in Criminal Justice, an MA in Public 
Administration, and is an alumnus of the FBI National Academy in 
Quantico.
  Joining the Raymore Police Department as Chief of Police in 2012, Jan 
Zimmerman has led the department through tumultuous times providing 
unremitting leadership. Chief Zimmerman places high expectations on her 
officers, committing herself to provide quality training and setting an 
example for the next generation of public safety professionals.
  Jan also championed mental health by partnering with healthcare 
professionals to develop the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) and 
implement the program at the KCPD and the Raymore Police Department. 
Later, she served as a Jackson County Mental Health Court Commissioner 
and considers this experience one of her proudest accomplishments. 
Zimmerman is the first female in the history of the Missouri Police 
Chiefs Association to receive the Donald ``Red'' Loehr Outstanding 
Police Chief award for her achievements in ensuring public safety.
  Law enforcement officers face many difficult, sometimes fatal, 
challenges. To support fallen officers' families, Jan serves as a 
program director for the Surviving Spouse and Family Endowment Fund 
with the Kansas City Crime Commission.
  For over a decade, Chief Zimmerman has put the safety and wellbeing 
of Raymore residents above her own. With the support of family; her 
husband, Major David Zimmerman of the Kansas City Police Department; 
her daughters, Jackie and Britt; and her granddaughters, Elise and 
Michele, Jan has withstood the hardships that are all too common in law 
enforcement.
  Today, thanks to the leadership of Chief Jan Zimmerman, Raymore 
residents enjoy safer neighborhoods, exceptional emergency services, 
and a police department that serves with integrity. On behalf of 
Missouri's Fourth Congressional District, I thank Chief Zimmerman for 
answering the call to serve and protect our community. Congratulations 
on a well-deserved retirement.

                          ____________________