[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18466]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        IN HONOR OF GORDON WEEKS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELTON GALLEGLY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 10, 2008

  Mr. GALLEGLY. Madam Speaker, I rise in honor of Simi Valley Police 
Department Lieutenant Gordon Weeks, who retires today after 31\1/2\ 
years of dedicated and exceptional service to the department and the 
city it serves.
  Simi Valley, California, has been my home for more than 40 years. 
When I was first elected to the City Council, Simi Valley's public 
safety was entrusted to the Simi Valley Community Safety Agency. 
Officers rode in white cars and wore light blue uniform shirts. It was 
an intentionally low-key and, some might say, casual approach to law 
enforcement.
  Not long after my election to the council, I became the city's first 
elected mayor. A young officer approached me with his concerns about 
the image and functions of the Community Safety Agency and his ideas 
for professionalizing it. Our discussions, some of which occurred as I 
rode the streets of the city with officer Weeks in his patrol car, led 
to action. Soon the Simi Valley Community Safety Agency became the Simi 
Valley Police Department. White patrol cars were transformed into 
traditional black and whites. Community safety officers became trained 
and professional police officers and dressed the part.
  Gordon Weeks was a pivotal force in bringing about those changes. He 
acted on his sense of professionalism and thereby helped to modernize 
Simi Valley's police force.
  Gordon's influence over the maturity of the department did not end 
there. He remained at the forefront of building a professional police 
department. He was a founding member of the department's SWAT team and, 
after he was promoted to lieutenant in 1997, Gordon served 4 years as 
the SWAT commander.
  Gordon also trained new recruits as a field training officer and 
later oversaw that program and the firearms training program for 3\1/2\ 
years.
  As a Driving Under the Influence Team member for less than 2 years, 
Gordon arrested approximately 400 drunken drivers. For 2\1/2\ years he 
solved property and violent crimes as a detective. He was a patrol 
sergeant for 8 years. He worked as a background investigator. He served 
as a patrol watch commander and patrol administrative lieutenant.
  Always, Gordon Weeks served as a professional. And the Police 
Department Lieutenant Weeks leaves behind today has his mark on it, for 
the better. Our collaboration and my respect for his dedication and 
professionalism has led to a long and lasting friendship.
  Madam Speaker, I know my colleagues join me in thanking Lieutenant 
Gordon Weeks for more than three decades of dedication and 
professionalism to the Simi Valley Police Department and in wishing him 
well in a long and fruitful retirement. Godspeed, Gordy.

                          ____________________