[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11676]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING SERGEANT JAMES R. STEPHENSON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JARED HUFFMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 15, 2015

  Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Sergeant 
James R. Stephenson as he prepares to retire from the Petaluma Police 
Department on July 31, 2015. With over twenty-five years of exemplary 
service as a police officer, twenty-one of these have been with the 
City of Petaluma where Sergeant Stephenson has been instrumental in 
building positive relationships with local residents and ensuring the 
overall safety of the Petaluma community.
  Sergeant Stephenson joined the Petaluma Police Department on August 
9, 1994 and quickly distinguished himself as an outstanding street 
officer, often detecting criminal activity from subtle clues. In 1999, 
he was named as the Sonoma County Law Enforcement Officer of the Year 
in recognition of his exceptional work. One noteworthy example was 
Sergeant Stephenson's skillful arrest of an armed, drug induced and 
mentally unstable man. Rather than resorting to stronger measures, he 
physically restrained the man, ultimately protecting both the 
individual and the broader community from more serious consequences 
after an arsenal of firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition were 
discovered in the citizen's home.
  Throughout his career, there have been many other instances when 
Sergeant Stephenson's calm demeanor and sharp instincts have helped to 
prevent crime. In his most recent assignment as Supervisor of the 
Traffic Safety Unit, his leadership has been important in helping 
officers to develop efficient action plans for responding to and 
investigating many serious accidents.
  Sergeant Stephenson's legacy is one of dedicated service to the 
people of Petaluma. Please join me in congratulating Sergeant James 
Stephenson and expressing deep appreciation for his long and 
exceptional career and outstanding contributions to the City of 
Petaluma.

                          ____________________