[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17416]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO SHERIFF LARRY WILLIAMS

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                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 29, 2010

  Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
tremendous public servant, whose heart was bigger than his six-foot-
seven-inch frame. Sheriff Larry Williams served the citizens of 
Orangeburg County as a law enforcement officer for 33 years. We have 
lost this beloved lawman, but his influence and compassion for the 
people he served will live on.
  Larry Williams was born in Bamberg County in 1956, to the late George 
Williams and Willie Mae Carson Williams. He was educated in the public 
schools of Branchville, and went on to attend South Carolina State 
University. He later earned his bachelor's degree from Claflin 
University in Criminal Justice with a minor in Sociology. Sheriff 
Williams gave back to his alma mater, joining the faculty as an adjunct 
professor of criminology and forensic science.
  His career in law enforcement began as a police officer in the City 
of Orangeburg Police Department in 1977. After two years, he became a 
residential deputy with the Orangeburg Sheriff's Department. He quickly 
rose through the ranks to become a supervisor, and in 2000, he was 
elected Sheriff.
  He received numerous recognitions for his dedicated service. In 2003, 
the South Carolina Sheriff's Association selected him as Sheriff of the 
Year, an outstanding accomplishment for a first term Sheriff. That same 
year he was recognized as an innovative Sheriff of Homeland Security. 
He also received recognition from the U.S. Marshals Service for his 
commitment to Operation Intercept.
  Sheriff Williams established himself as a formidable lawman, who was 
well respected for his efforts to reduce the crime rate in Orangeburg 
County. His effectiveness won him the prestigious Strom Thurmond Award 
for Excellence in Law Enforcement and the Regional Organized Crime 
Institute's 2007 Gold Medallion Award for Excellence in Law 
Enforcement. That same year, he was selected as the Orangeburg County 
Community of Character Award winner for the character trait of 
``Citizenship.''
  In 2008 Sheriff Williams received the Criminal Justice Award from the 
South Carolina Victim Assistance Network. In 2010, the Orangeburg 
County Sheriff's Department under his leadership was a finalist in the 
Crime Victims Services Award from the National Sheriffs' Association. 
He was also recognized with the Law Enforcement Commendation Medal by 
the Battle of Eutaw Springs Chapter of the Sons of the American 
Revolution in 2010.
  Sheriff Williams always worked to improve his service as a law 
enforcement official. In 2002, he graduated from the 82nd session of 
the South Carolina Sheriff's Institute of Longmont, Colorado. Then in 
2009, he completed the 62nd session of the Law Enforcement Executive 
Development Seminar.
  He served 3 years as a Crime Victim Services committee member for the 
National Sheriffs' Association. He was also a member of the South 
Carolina Association of Countywide Elected Executives, the executive 
board for the Salvation Army, the South Carolina Law Enforcement 
Officers Association, the Palmetto State Law Enforcement Officers' 
Association, and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. He volunteered his time 
with the United States Youth Games of South Carolina.
  A man of faith, Sheriff Williams was a member of Canaan Baptist 
Church in Branchville and an honorary member of First Nazareth Baptist 
Church in Columbia.
  Madam Speaker, I ask that you and my colleagues join me in 
recognizing this giant in the law enforcement community. Sheriff 
Williams was an extraordinary advocate of his beloved Orangeburg County 
and a wonderful role model for young people. He made a lasting mark on 
his community, our state and our nation. We all owe him a tremendous 
debt of gratitude, and we can best honor his memory by immolating his 
commitment to public service.

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