[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13860]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               RECOGNIZING THE SERVICE OF MICHAEL DURANT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ERIC SWALWELL

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 12, 2017

  Mr. SWALWELL of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
the distinguished service of Senior Deputy Sheriff Michael Durant of 
the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department and to thank him for his 
unwavering commitment to making California--and the United States--a 
safer place.
  We owe a debt of gratitude to all of our nation's law enforcement 
officers, but Californians are especially thankful for the impact that 
Mike has made in his community and state. Over the course of his law 
enforcement career, which now spans more than three decades, Mike has 
held a number of important roles. He has been assigned to patrols and 
field trainings, conducted numerous investigations, and done extensive 
work with the canine unit.
  At each step as Mike rose through the ranks, he gained experience and 
expertise that prepared him well for the position he currently holds 
with the Peace Officers Research Association of California, more 
commonly known as PORAC. PORAC's mission is to identify the public 
safety needs in communities and help to provide the services necessary 
to adequately meet those changing needs. After serving for seven years 
as the group's Vice President, in 2013 Mike was unanimously elected 
President and has since led the association with distinction.
  As leader of the largest law enforcement organization in California 
and the largest such statewide association in the nation with over 
70,000 active members, Mike has strengthened the association and 
enhanced PORAC's voice at the state and national levels. I have seen 
firsthand Mike's passion for enacting public policy aligned with 
PORAC's honorable mission, at both the state and federal levels.
  When PORAC meets with Members of Congress this week, it will be the 
last time it does so under the leadership of President Durant. With 
Mike's productive tenure as PORAC President coming to an end, I want to 
thank him for his service to California, congratulate him on a job well 
done, and wish him the very best in all of his future endeavors. I 
would also like to extend my deepest appreciation to Mike's wife, 
Roxanne, and his three children--because as a son of a police officer 
and brother of two members of law enforcement myself, I recognize the 
sacrifices such families make while their loved ones serve in the line 
of duty.

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