[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16170]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE CAREER OF PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY POLICE CHIEF STEPHAN M. 
                                 HUDSON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 7, 2016

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the career of Prince 
William County Police Chief Stephan M. Hudson and to congratulate him 
on his retirement following 34-years of dedicated service to county 
residents.
  Founded on July 1, 1970, the Prince William County Police Department 
serves as the primary form of law enforcement for the county and the 
towns of Dumfries, Occoquan, Haymarket, and Quantico. At the time of 
its founding, the Department had a staff of 52, which included police 
officers, commanders, dispatchers, and secretaries, and an operating 
budget of $750,000. Today, the Department has grown to more than 845 
individuals with an FY16 annual operating budget of $96.6 million. Over 
his three-year tenure as the head of the department, Chief Hudson has 
increased the number of sworn officers and increased the budget by over 
$20 million to better serve the growing community.
  In 2013, Stephan M. Hudson was sworn in as the third police chief of 
the Prince William County Police Department. Since his installation, 
Chief Hudson has stressed the importance of creating a diverse police 
force reflective of Prince William County's minority-majority makeup. 
Police Chief Hudson has also made increased police contact and 
transparency with Prince William County residents one of his top 
priorities. In his short tenure, Chief Hudson has done just that. The 
Police Department has achieved a 93 percent satisfaction rate in the 
community and has made significant strides to increase diversity in the 
police force, including in leadership positions. In the past three 
years, the department has promoted its first ethnic minority and first 
female assistant chiefs. As a strong advocate for police 
accountability, Chief Hudson successfully lobbied the Board of County 
Supervisors to equip 500 of the department's officers with body 
cameras. Later this year, the Prince William County Police Department 
will become the largest municipality with officers to don the device 
and utilize the technology in the Commonwealth. To preserve the quality 
of police services, the Department continues to work on three capital 
improvement programs: the Central District Station, the Animal Control 
Facility, and the Public Safety Training Center Rifle Range.
  Chief Hudson is not only admired by the police department's rank and 
file but by county residents for his strong personal ties to the 
community. While his childhood was spent in Boston, Massachusetts, 
Hudson graduated from Gar-Field High School and has resided in the 
county ever since. As a proud resident of Prince William County for the 
past 40 years, Chief Hudson and his family are actively engaged in the 
community. His wife Roxana is the current principal at Belmont 
Elementary School. Together, Chief Hudson and his wife have two 
children and three grandchildren who were all born and raised in Prince 
William County. Devoted to his faith, Chief Hudson and his family 
worship at McLean Bible Church where they travel twice a year to 
participate in mission trips to rural Kenyan villages.
  Over the span of his career with the Prince William County Police 
Department, Chief Hudson has displayed the true meaning of civil 
service through his commitment to the rule of law while maintaining 
professionalism and diligence in serving the community. His values have 
endured the test of time and shaped the present culture of our Police 
Department. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commending 
the 34-year career of Chief Stephan M. Hudson with the Prince William 
County Police Department and in thanking him for his tireless service 
to our community. As a fearless leader, Chief Hudson rose quickly 
through the ranks with the Department. I have full confidence he will 
do the same in all future endeavors. I wish Chief Stephan M. Hudson and 
his family continued happiness and success in all future ventures.

                          ____________________