[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5755]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             RECOGNIZING THE BENTONVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT

   Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, today I wish to celebrate the 
100th anniversary of the Bentonville Police Department, which was 
established on May 9, 1916, when community leaders adopted an ordinance 
to create the Office of Watch to protect its 2,000 citizens.
  As the community grew, so did the need to increase police personnel. 
In 1951, community leaders approved expanding the department by adding 
a chief of police, two patrolmen, and the first patrol car. A lot has 
changed with the Bentonville Police Department in the last century. 
Today there are 99 men and women in the police department providing 
services that extend beyond the description of the 1916 department, and 
they are doing things only imagined at that time.
  The talents and abilities of the men and women serving in today's 
department are put to good use to protect the 44,000 Bentonville 
residents. They work tirelessly to ensure the public is safe as members 
of investigative units, forensic analysis teams, K9 teams, a bomb 
squad, a bicycle team, a SWAT team, and a crisis negotiations team. 
Their commitment to the community is exemplified by the numerous 
programs and outreach efforts they offer to the people of Bentonville.
  The wide range of calls members of the Bentonville Police Department 
respond to shows the need for preparation and training. These officers 
are among the most visible public servants and risk their lives to 
protect the community.
  I offer my congratulations on this milestone and thank Bentonville 
Police Chief Jon Simpson and the officers and staff who serve and 
protect the citizens of Bentonville for their service to the community. 
They have made Bentonville one of the safest communities in Arkansas 
and in the United States.

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