[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7890]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE PUBLIC SERVICE OF SGT. RICHARD J. ``RICK'' KASPER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM GERLACH

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 6, 2008

  Mr. GERLACH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a dedicated public 
servant from Chester County, Pennsylvania, who is retiring after a 
nearly 30-year career with the West Whiteland Township Police 
Department.
  Sgt. Richard J. ``Rick'' Kasper joined the West Whiteland Police as a 
patrol officer in 1978. He became one of the first members on the force 
to be promoted to the rank of sergeant in 1988.
  As a patrol shift supervisor for 25 years, Sgt. Kasper earned the 
respect of his colleagues for his ability to think on his feet and his 
sound judgment at times when officers' lives and the safety of the 
community were on the line.
  Whether it was safely disarming a knife-wielding suspect or 
responding to a threat of violence at a local mall, the members of the 
West Whiteland Township Police Department knew they could always depend 
on the steady hand of Sgt. Kasper to guide them through the tension-
filled moments.
  In addition to pinning on a badge for work each day, Sgt. Kasper 
passed on his knowledge about police work as one of the Department's 
original firearms instructors. Sgt. Kasper's dedication to the 
Department was surpassed only by his devotion to his family. In a 
testament to just how well Sgt. Kasper juggled the demands of police 
work and the needs of his family, his daughter, Heather, followed in 
her father's footsteps to become a police officer with a department in 
Florida.
  Rick's career and accomplishments will be celebrated on Friday, May 
9, 2008 during a dinner at the Downingtown Country Club.
  Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me today in praising the 
outstanding service of Sgt. Richard J. Kasper, and all those who take 
an oath to serve and protect their communities.

                          ____________________