[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5161]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING STEVE COFFMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES P. MORAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 18, 2002

  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my friend, 
Steve Coffman, who is retiring on April 19, 2002, from the Alexandria 
Police Department after 33\1/2\ years of dedicated public service to 
the City of Alexandria.
  A lifelong Alexandria City resident, Steve's dream of serving his 
community was realized on October 10th, 1968, when he was sworn in as 
Alexandria's first auxiliary police officer. Steve started his law 
enforcement career during a tumultuous time in our nation's history. In 
1971, the Alexandria City Council voted to integrate T.C. Williams High 
School, a decision that was criticized by many in the community. In 
addition, we were in the midst of the Vietnam War, and on the domestic 
front, racial relations were strained and unstable. In Alexandria, it 
was very important for our law enforcement agents to keep the peace and 
restore community relations during this time.
  Steve has served the law enforcement community in several capacities, 
most recently as one of two Polygraph Operators for Alexandria City. He 
has also served as a Street Patrol officer and Identification 
Technician.
  During Steve's long and distinguished law enforcement career, he has 
received many accolades, including the Police Officer of the Year 
award, one of the Police Department's highest honors.
  I join Steve's family, including his wife Patty, daughters Angie and 
Valerie, as well as the City of Alexandria, in congratulating and 
thanking Steve for his dedication to improving the lives of others and 
serving the needs of our community.

                          ____________________