[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13930]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING SAN RAFAEL POLICE CHIEF MATTHEW ODETTO

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LYNN C. WOOLSEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 20, 2011

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the legacy of a 
passionate and dedicated public servant. San Rafael Police Chief 
Matthew Odetto announced his retirement in July 2011, the culmination 
of thirty years of work serving the people and public safety of Marin 
County. His leadership has touched the lives of countless Mann 
residents, and his example has helped forge new bonds between our law 
enforcement organizations and the communities they serve.
  Odetto comes from a family with well-established roots in Marin 
County and in law enforcement. He started his career in 1981 as a 
deputy with the Marin County Sheriff's Office, based in Southern Marin, 
where he rose to the rank of Lieutenant. In that position, he served as 
commander of the Sheriff's SWAT team and was lead instructor for the 
Emergency Vehicle Operation Course.
  In 2000, Odetto became the Tiburon Chief of Police, a position he 
held for six years before his appointment as San Rafael Chief of Police 
in December 2006. Chief Odetto, firmly committed to maintaining 
services to San Rafael residents in spite of economic difficulties, 
guided the Police Department as it confronted newly limited resources. 
He built partnerships with community groups, solicited support from the 
private sector, and made community policing a priority. He secured new 
funding sources to ensure that gaps in resources were covered, 
eventually providing for the return of the Citizen's Academy program, 
which introduces the public to the work of the San Rafael Police 
Department and its law enforcement officers.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in thanking Chief Odetto for his 
contributions to Marin County. He has set an admirable standard for 
compassionate and responsive public service, and we wish him the best 
in his retirement.

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