[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16654]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING OFFICER CRYSTAL D. SHEFFIELD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pence). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise this afternoon to pay tribute and 
honor Crystal D. Sheffield, a Baltimore City police officer who was 
killed in the line of duty while coming to the aid of a fellow officer 
on August 21, 2002. She was the city's first female officer ever to die 
in the line of duty.
  Following a family tradition of public service, Officer Sheffield 
became a Baltimore City police officer in 1999, joining 3 family 
members already on the police force. Officer Sheffield was raised in 
Baltimore and loved her city. She wanted to give back to Baltimore and 
the community she loved. She worked the midnight shift in the western 
district of Baltimore, which is one of the more dangerous districts.
  I had the opportunity to attend Officer Sheffield's wake and funeral 
services a few weeks ago. It was a moving ceremony with more than 300 
people in attendance. Political officials, ordinary citizens, police 
officers and firefighters from Baltimore, the State of Maryland and 
other jurisdictions were among the attendance. Many people approached 
the family, telling them stories of how Officer Sheffield helped them 
with a problem. The testimonial showed how much she was loved and will 
be missed.
  She worked the western district, which was near my house, and I got a 
chance to know her. It is interesting to note that when told of her 
tragic death, some of my neighbors simply wept. Not only was Officer 
Sheffield a dedicated police officer, she was also a dedicated wife and 
mother. She is survived by her husband, Lt. William Sheffield, a 
Baltimore City firefighter, and her son, Darian. It was said that she 
wanted to be a role model for her son so she worked hard, building a 
wonderful reputation of being dependable and a great police officer who 
could easily resolve conflicts. Officer Sheffield could often be found 
at her son's school, talking to his teachers and encouraging him to 
excel.
  Police officers work and put their lives at risk for all of us. Like 
all police officers, Officer Sheffield took an oath to protect and to 
serve. She was simply doing her job. Officer Sheffield did not know 
that her next call would be her last call, but she lost her life going 
to the aid of a fellow officer. That was the type of officer and the 
type of person Officer Sheffield was.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I want to pay special tribute to Officer Crystal 
Sheffield, a real American hero and a role model for us all. I extend 
my condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Officer 
Sheffield, and my thanks for a job well done.

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