[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10499]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



     DENCIL HAYCOX, RIO RANCHO'S FIRST PUBLIC SAFETY CHIEF RETIRES

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TOM UDALL

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 12, 2001

  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to salute Dencil 
Haycox, the city of Rio Rancho's first and only public safety officer, 
on the occasion of his retirement after an impressive two decades of 
dedicated service.
  Chief Haycox was first hired in 1981 as a police planner to set up 
the Rio Rancho Police Department shortly after the city of 10,000 
incorporated. He quickly established a force consisting of one sergeant 
and seven officers. In 1985, he became the director of public safety 
when the City Council created the current Department of Public Safety. 
Since then he built the current force of 104 police officers and 37 
fire and rescue personnel.
  Chief Haycox's commitment and leadership truly have been instrumental 
in enhancing the special quality of life in the City of Vision. In 
Chief Haycox, people have been served by someone who has made their 
safety and well-being his life's work and has been very attentive to 
their needs. He has served under eight different mayors, and during 
that time he has shown his willingness to respond to problems, large 
and small, for the people he served.
  He literally took a department that did not exist and made it into 
what it is today. His colleagues have described him as someone who set 
high standards for his department and always wanted to help his 
employees grow professionally. For example, when an employee made a 
mistake, he tried to use the mistake as a learning opportunity.
  Rio Rancho is extremely fortunate to have had the leadership of an 
individual as dedicated, experienced, and successful as Dencil Haycox. 
I ask that my colleagues join me in saluting him on the occasion of his 
retirement, and I wish him continued success.

                          ____________________