[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5265]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 RECOGNIZING SERGEANT PATRICK O'MALLEY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. NORMA J. TORRES

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 3, 2017

  Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Sergeant Patrick 
O'Malley of the Pomona Police Department for his unyielding commitment 
to improve the lives of residents in my district every single day.
  Sgt. O'Malley may be a native of the Sunshine State, but it is our 
Golden State that has been the beneficiary of his strong work ethic and 
compassionate character since he moved here in 1971. He started his 
career as a police officer with the L.A. County Sheriff's Department 
Academy in 1991, graduating a year later in 1992. In 1993, my district 
received a wonderful addition when Sgt. O'Malley joined the Pomona 
Police Department. Since then, he has continued his life-long devotion 
to public service through his career in law enforcement of more than 25 
years.
  While Sgt. O'Malley has had a commendable career with numerous 
assignments including the Gang Team, Patrol Operations, Traffic Bureau, 
Detective Bureau, and the MAIT Investigation team, perhaps his most 
admirable assignment came when he met BreAunna Barnett.
  ``An angel with a badge,'' is the phrase that BreAunna's mother, 
Leanne, uses to refer to Sgt. O'Malley. Mr. Speaker, in what could only 
be described as a mother's worst fear, Leanne almost lost her daughter 
to the drug addiction epidemic that plagues our country today. The 
unequivocal love of a mother and the pure integrity of an officer 
brought Leanne and Sgt. O'Malley together. While many would have given 
up, Sgt. O'Malley committed himself to finding and helping BreAunna.
  When he found BreAunna she initially rejected his attempts to help, 
but that did not stop Sgt. O'Malley, who refused to give up. Over time, 
Sgt. O'Malley gained her trust and eventually helped her receive proper 
treatment. Even after recovery, Sgt. O'Malley still continued to check 
up on BreAunna.
  In the most tumultuous of times, we find hope in individuals like 
Sgt. O'Malley, the very same hope that BreAunna experienced. Yes, 
indeed, he is an angel with a badge.
  Sgt. O'Malley's case is especially relevant and worth highlighting in 
the environment that we find ourselves today where communities' 
distrust in police officers has reached unprecedented levels. The 
positive work that our police officers perform often goes unnoticed, 
and instead we only see the negative. We look to stories like that of 
Sgt. O'Malley's to remind us that the simple act of caring goes a long 
way and that taking a community policing approach works.
  Sgt. O'Malley did not shy away from a challenge and is a reminder 
that we too should not shy away from helping each other out.
  For his endless contributions and commitment to my community, and 
because he teaches us to go above and beyond what is asked, I would 
like to recognize Sergeant Patrick O'Malley on the House floor today.

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