[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6848]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              MELVIN RICE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOSEPH M. HOEFFEL

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 19, 1999

  Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Speaker, Melvin Rice began his career in law 
enforcement on March 5, 1973, with the Abington Township Police 
Department. Melvin was a member of the last class to be held at the Old 
York Road Police Department. During his 25 years in the department, 
Melvin worked the Patrol Division and was in the Special Task Force and 
Juvenile Detective Division for 2 years. He became one of the first (of 
four) K-9 officers in the department and served in that position for 
the past 16 years. Melvin has received numerous citations from the 
department, the U.S. Police Canine Association and other departments. 
Melvin also has served in the Abington Township Police Honor Guard and 
the Abington Township Human Relations Board.
  It was Melvin's desire to recruit more minorities into the law 
enforcement field. This led him to develop the first concept of the 
pretesting tutoring program, which was later adopted as an ongoing 
process for all new recruits.
  The most rewarding experience came when Melvin cofounded, along with 
Sgt. William Hold, the Montgomery County Black Law Enforcement Officers 
Association, an association dedicated to minority recruitment.
  Melvin retired on January 24, 1999, to spend time with his wife, 
Georgianna, his son, Michael, and his daughter, Danielle, daughter-in-
law, Misty, and grandson, Joshua. He leaves the department with many 
happy memories and will continue his work with the Montgomery County 
Black Law Enforcement Officers Association and in his community.

                          ____________________