[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 13385-13386]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          LARRY WELCH--LAWMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 21, 2007

  Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, ``The police are the public and the public 
are police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to 
give full time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen 
in the interests of community welfare and existence.'' These words 
spoken by Sir Robert Peel, founder of the Metropolitan Police Force in 
London, describe the obligation and dedication required to be a law 
enforcement officer in society.
  Peace officers are the last strand of wire in the fence between the 
law and the lawless. They are all that stands between order and chaos. 
They are all that stands between the people and the outlaws. Peace 
officers are the rare breeds--the noble breed that wear the badge of 
Duty, Honor, Courage, and Service. Larry Welch is one of these Peace 
Officers.
  For 46 years, Larry Welch has served his country and the citizens of 
the State of Kansas as a law enforcement officer. As a child, Larry 
knew that he wanted to be a law enforcement officer--specifically an 
Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI. While most kids in 
high school were thinking of football games and school dances and the 
coming college years, Larry was writing to the FBI, inquiring about 
becoming a Special Agent. After obtaining his bachelor's degree from 
the University of Kansas in 1958 and his Juris Doctorate in 1961, Larry 
graduated the FBI Academy and became a Special Agent in 1961.
  For the next 25 years, Larry served as a dedicated FBI Agent, a 
career that spanned

[[Page 13386]]

eight cities and Puerto Rico. He investigated and served the Bureau in 
a variety of positions, including serving on the protective detail of 
U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy, shortly after President Kennedy 
was assassinated. Larry also had the experience of serving in a 
supervisory position with the FBI, including director of FBI operations 
in Kansas.
  In 1986, Larry left the FBI to become the Associate Director of the 
Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center in Huntchinson, KS. The Kansas 
Law Enforcement Training Center serves as the headquarters for all law 
enforcement training in Kansas. By 1989, Larry was promoted to the 
Director of the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center and was 
responsible for the certification of all law enforcement officers 
within the State of Kansas--an incredible responsibility.
  But Larry still had his eye on a position with an organization that 
he had strived to become a member of for over 30 years. Before Larry 
was hired as an FBI Agent, he had applied to the Kansas Bureau of 
Investigation, KBI. The KBI is the statewide law enforcement 
organization that provides investigative and laboratory services to 
criminal justice professionals across the State. A position with KBI 
appealed to Larry, so a family friend and mentor tried to pull some 
strings to get him hired; but, KBI refused to waive the 7 years of law 
enforcement experience requirement and instead Larry joined the FBI. 
This time, however, KBI was not saying no to Larry Welch and in 1994, 
he was hired as the 10th Director in the history of the Kansas Bureau 
of Investigation.
  Under Larry's leadership, KBI flourished as one of the premiere law 
enforcement agencies in the State. During his tenure, KBI increased the 
number of forensic laboratories throughout the State. KBI's forensic 
laboratory achieved national accreditation, on its first try, from the 
American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors--the first State crime 
laboratory to do so. Larry's KBI also assisted the Wichita Police 
Department in solving the Bind, Torture, Kill, BTK, murders in 2004. He 
has expanded KBI's investigative focus on computer crimes, such as 
identity theft and child pornography, as well as the rapid growth of 
the methamphetamine epidemic across Kansas.
  I have had the privilege of calling Larry Welch my good friend for so 
many years. As a former Judge in Texas for 22 years, I have always been 
impressed by Larry's dedication to the people of our Nation and 
upholding the tradition of public service. His integrity is above 
reproach and his competence is extraordinary.
  For Larry Welch, being a lawman was his life's calling, and after 46 
years, this dedicated and well-respected law enforcement official is 
hanging up the badge that he has so proudly worn. The citizens and the 
State of Kansas are fortunate to have his service. In life, there are 
not many individuals who have the drive or dedication to a career that 
Larry has had. He is truly one of a kind, and I am honored to pay him 
this tribute today.
  And That's Just The Way It Is.

                          ____________________