TITLE: Congratulating Larry Zacharias on his retirement as chief of The University of Texas at Dallas Police Department.

SUMMARY: Congratulating Larry Zacharias on his retirement as chief of The University of Texas at Dallas Police Department.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Larry Zacharias retired as chief of The University of Texas at Dallas Police Department on January 31, 2023, drawing to a close an outstanding tenure with the department that spanned more than 13 years; and WHEREAS, This esteemed public servant began his career in law enforcement in 1977 as a patrol officer with the Richardson Police Department, and over the course of his more than three decades with the agency, he rose through the ranks to become chief of police; following a brief retirement, he took the helm of UT Dallas PD in 2009; under his able leadership, the department grew to include more than 70 law enforcement officers and civilian employees, and it earned a reputation for community partnership and professionalism; in addition, Chief Zacharias played an instrumental role in establishing the award-winning University Emergency Medical Response team; and WHEREAS, Among his many achievements, Chief Zacharias was named Citizen of the Year by the City of Richardson in 2008 and Chief of the Year by the UT System Police in 2011 and 2019; he also received the UT System Police Shield and Distinguished Command Award upon his retirement; a leader in his profession, he has further distinguished himself as a former legislative director for the Texas Police Chiefs Association and as a board member of the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration and the North Texas Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory; he holds a bachelor's degree in law enforcement and police administration from Sam Houston State University and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy; and WHEREAS, Chief Zacharias's dedication, professionalism, and commitment to serving the students, faculty, and staff at The University of Texas at Dallas have earned him the gratitude of the members of that community as well as the admiration of his fellow officers, and he may indeed reflect with pride on a career well spent; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas Legislature hereby congratulate Larry Zacharias on his retirement as chief of The University of Texas at Dallas Police Department and extend to him sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Chief Zacharias as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Plesa Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 940 was adopted by the House on April 14, 2023, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House