[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 69 (Friday, April 19, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E371]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                       HONORING CHIEF PHIL COLLUM

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JUAN VARGAS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 19, 2024

  Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Chula Vista Assistant 
Police Chief Phil Collum, a 29-year veteran of the department who we 
sadly lost to cancer. His service and his legacy will always be 
remembered.
  Those who knew Assistant Police Chief Collum best emphasize his 
empathy, his compassion, his reputation for being fair, his work ethic, 
and more than anything, his dedication to his community.
  Community was at the heart of everything Assistant Police Chief 
Collum did. He gave the directive in 2022 to create the Community 
Engagement Division to help foster community relationships--and he 
personally led this division.
  He was committed to building bridges between officers and the 
community they serve. Through the Community Engagement Division, he 
worked to make sure that the Chula Vista Police Department was actively 
connecting with community members including residents, students, and 
business owners.
  Assistant Police Chief Collum was also deeply involved in charity 
work. He volunteered at his church. He went to Tijuana every month to 
support orphanages and help children in need as part of the Corazon de 
Vida Foundation--his empathy and compassion for others on full display.
  And, Assistant Police Chief Collum was a true trailblazer. He was the 
Chula Vista Police Department's first Black lieutenant, first Black 
captain, and first Black assistant chief.
  He was also the first openly gay male officer in the department. In 
his own words, during an interview in 2022, Assistant Police Chief 
Collum said that he was proud to be a member of the LGBTQ community. He 
was proud to be a law enforcement officer. He was proud of his husband. 
He was proud of his community. And that he wanted to celebrate that.
  I can't think of a better way to sum up his incredible contributions 
to our community. He broke down barriers and was a role model for so 
many.
  Assistant Police Chief Collum is survived by his loving husband, 
William Lopez, and my heart is with his family, his friends, his 
colleagues, and our entire community as we mourn this immense loss.
  We will always remember Assistant Police Chief Collum.

                          ____________________