[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9626]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO POLICE CHIEF
                            WILLIS D. BOOTH

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DAVID W. JOLLY

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 21, 2016

  Mr. JOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a man who served 
his community of Clearwater, Florida, for many years, former Clearwater 
Police Chief Willis D. Booth. Former Chief Booth is being inducted into 
the Florida Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame.
  Chief Booth was born November 12, 1924 in Safety Harbor, Florida, and 
is the great-grandson of the man credited to be the first settler of 
Pinellas County peninsula, Mr. Count Odet Phillipe. Chief Booth 
graduated from Clearwater High School in 1942 and started his career in 
law enforcement September 6th, 1947.
  It did not take long for Chief Booth to rise through the ranks. He 
was promoted to Sergeant on August 16th, 1949 and subsequently enrolled 
and graduated from the Southern Police Institute in 1953. Four years 
later, on July 28th, 1953, he advanced to the status of Captain. During 
this time, Booth was the man everyone could rely on filling in for any 
position when necessary, including as Senior Captain and Acting Chief 
when the acting officers were unavailable. Finally, when his 
predecessor, Chief Irving Dribben retired, Chief Booth was chosen to 
succeed him and became Chief on November 4th, 1957.
  While Chief Booth was the Chief of Police for 11 years, he was a 
member of numerous groups and committees. He was a member of the 
International Association of Chiefs of Police and was a part of the 
Public Relations Committee in 1963. Additionally, he served on the 
Membership Committee and on the Regional Committee on Education and 
Training for Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. He was also on the Board of 
Directors of the Florida Police Chiefs Association, Tampa Bay Area 
Chiefs of Police Association, and served as president for both.
  In 1968, Chief Booth retired from his role in the Clearwater Police 
Department to accept the position of Assistant Director of the Florida 
Department of Law Enforcement and to continue making a difference in 
communities around the state. I want to thank Former Chief Willis Booth 
for his years of service to our community as a member of Florida Law 
Enforcement. I ask that this body join me in recognizing his service 
and congratulating him on a distinguished career. He is an important 
part of the history of Pinellas County and is most deserving of his 
induction into the Florida Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame.

                          ____________________