[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4046]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE CAREER OF SERGEANT TOM BERGREN OF THE SAINT PAUL POLICE 
                               DEPARTMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 22, 2012

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Sergeant Tom Bergren 
of the Saint Paul Police Department, and his retirement after 32 
dedicated years of service.
  Sergeant Bergren represents the finest example of a dedicated 
community law enforcement professional. His interest in public safety 
began early. As a child, he would visit his grandparents' home in Saint 
Paul to pick up local calls on the police scanners, longing to be the 
responder on the other end. His career formally began in Circle Pines, 
Minnesota, when in 1976 at 19 years old, he became a reserve officer. 
After 3 years of service to the residents of Circle Pines as a reserve 
officer, and later as a full time community-service officer, he entered 
the Saint Paul Police Academy.
  After graduation, Sergeant Bergren served a number of different roles 
in the Saint Paul Police Department, including time as an officer in 
the K-9 unit and as an investigator in auto theft. Bergie, as he became 
known by those close to him, became a homicide investigator in 2004, 
ultimately this would be the role that would shape his career. This job 
demands the utmost dedication, and he not only exceeded these 
expectations, but inspired those he worked with to do so as well. It 
was this unrelenting dedication that would help him solve the biggest 
case of his career.
  In 2007, a triple homicide took place in the North End Neighborhood 
of Saint Paul. Over 4 long years and hundreds of interviews, Sergeant 
Bergren tirelessly sought to bring closure to the families and bring 
the assailants to justice. It was this dedication that not only saw the 
conviction of the two perpetrators, but created a bond between Bergren 
and families of the victims.
  Sergeant Tom Bergren's unparalleled commitment to serving the public 
has earned him many awards through the years. In 2007, he earned the 
Detective of the Year award from the Saint Paul Police Department, and 
just recently, he received a fourth Medal of Commendation from the 
city.
  On his desk sits a sign from the mother of one of the victims of the 
2007 homicide, which states ``never, never, never give up.'' On behalf 
of myself and all of the residents of Saint Paul, I want to thank 
Sergeant Tom Bergren for never giving up in his efforts to protect and 
serve the public.
  Mr. Speaker, in honor of Sergeant Tom Bergren's 32 years of valiant 
and dedicated service, I am pleased to submit this statement for the 
Congressional Record.

                          ____________________