[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 19527]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                      RECOGNIZING CHIEF GARY CRAFT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JIMMY PANETTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 7, 2017

  Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Chief Gary Craft 
for his retirement from the Monterey County District Attorney's Office.
  Chief Craft began his career in 1976 as a reserve police officer for 
the Seaside Police Department. From there, he transferred to the 
Pacific Grove Police Department, where he spent the next four years as 
a uniformed patrol officer. In 1980, he took the knowledge that he 
gained from these two departments to the Monterey County Sheriff's 
Department, where he would spend the next fourteen years. During his 
tenure at the Sheriff's Office he served in various roles to protect 
the residents of Monterey County. Some of these roles included 
narcotics team member, special enforcement team member, and special 
unit and tactics team member. The Monterey County Sheriff's Office went 
on to name him ``Lawman of the Year.'' Chief Craft later received an 
executive certificate from the California Peace Officers Standards and 
Training. The executive certificate is the highest level of 
certification that is given by the State of California.
  In 1994, Chief Craft left the Monterey County Sheriff's Office and 
began the next phase of his career in public service. Chief Craft chose 
to bring his knowledge and experience to the Monterey County District 
Attorney's Office, where he would spend the next twenty-three years. 
During his tenure there, he held in many leaderships roles including 
ten years as chief DA investigator. During his time at the District 
Attorney's Office, Chief Craft received numerous accolades including 
Investigator of the Year. In 2016, Chief Craft attended and graduated 
from the FBI National Academy. The FBI National Academy is a 
prestigious law enforcement education program that provides training to 
the top 1 percent of law enforcement executives. Classes include, 
amongst other subjects, psychology of communication, topics in 
contemporary law, and physical training. The grueling courses demand a 
sharp intellect, strong interpersonal skills, and perseverance. Chief 
Craft is also the first sworn peace officer from the Monterey County 
District Attorney's office to attend the FBI Academy.
  Chief Craft's dedication to keeping the people of Monterey County 
safe deserves our highest commendation. His actions have demonstrated a 
deep commitment to public service and an eagerness to go the extra 
mile. As the Representative for the 20th Congressional District of 
California, I am deeply grateful for his service to our community. Mr. 
Speaker, I ask that my colleagues in the House join me in 
congratulating Chief Gary Craft and wishing him a happy retirement.

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