HR0052 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0052 LRB101 07175 MST 52213 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Illinois State Police Director Leo P. Schmitz on the occasion of his retirement; and

WHEREAS, Director Schmitz has a law enforcement career spanning nearly 30 years, dating back to 1986 when he joined Chicago Police Department (CPD) as a police officer; he was later promoted to the Joint Robbery Task Force, where he and his partners made over 500 robbery arrests; after being shot twice in 1996 in pursuit of a robbery suspect, whom he also apprehended, he was presented with the Illinois Law Enforcement Medal of Honor by then-Gov. James Edgar, the Chicago Superintendent's Award of Valor, and the Blue Star Award by the Chicago Police Department; and

WHEREAS, Director Schmitz rose through the ranks of the CPD and received numerous awards for his service; in 2009, he was selected to lead CPD's Gang Enforcement Unit; his unit was recognized for its success with a Meritorious Citation; in 2012, he was assigned to lead Chicago's Englewood District, which saw a 44% drop in homicide and a 14% reduction in shootings in his first year; that same year, he was promoted to deputy chief, a role in which he served until his CPD retirement in January 2015; and

WHEREAS, Director Schmitz was appointed Director of the Illinois State Police in February 2015; during his tenure, the Illinois State Police completed Procedural Justice and Police Legitimacy training, saw a reduction in the number of fatal crashes and fatalities, a reduction in the number of expressway shootings, an updated State Police Crime Lab's Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), NARCAN Training and Distribution, and a successful Statewide 9-1-1 Implementation Measures; troopers saw upgraded uniform holsters and tourniquets; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Illinois State Police Director Leo P. Schmitz on his retirement, and we wish him the best in all his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Director Schmitz as a symbol of our respect and esteem.