HR0458 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0458 LRB099 12144 MST 34875 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Duane E. Wirth on the occasion of his retirement as Boone County Sheriff after 36 years; and

WHEREAS, Sheriff Wirth is the second longest-serving sheriff in the State; he began as a part-time deputy in 1971; he became a full-time deputy in 1974 and was elected Sheriff in 1978; and

WHEREAS, Sheriff Wirth has seen many changes since being first elected; his office has gone from 12 full-time deputies to more than 30, dispatch has gone from a desk top radio to a 9-1-1 call center, files that were kept in a cabinet are now on computer, and he now oversees 5 budgets and has over 100 employees, including 24 Sheriff's reserve volunteers and 15 Explorer Scouts; and

WHEREAS, Sheriff Wirth considers his finest hour to be when he unexpectedly took part in the Fourth of July parade 28 years ago; he has been appearing in the parade every year since; and

WHEREAS, Sheriff Wirth takes great pride in his cooperation with all aspects of the law enforcement community; he enjoys a close working relationship with neighboring agencies and encourages cooperation among his peers and subordinates; he has attended the FBI National Academy; and

WHEREAS, Sheriff Wirth is married to Dianne, and they have 2 children, David and Dawn, and 4 grandchildren, Eden, Nolan, Madison, and Dawson; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Duane E. Wirth on his retirement as Boone County Sheriff and wish him the best in all his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Sheriff Wirth as an expression of our esteem and respect.