I have also been a strong supporter, as have you, of Project Exile passed by the Assembly in 1997 as a pilot program in Richmond, and Virginia Exile passed in 1999, as a way to reduce the gun violence in our state. If this is also achieved in the rest of the state, it will help reduce, to a degree, the risk faced by our law enforcement officers. The General Assembly also extended continuing health and retirement benefits for the surviving spouse. As Vice President of the Virginia Public Safety Foundation, a private non-profit group, I endorse a variety of support services for the families affected. We can fill volumes with our laws, but without dedicated people, trained to be effective law enforcement officers, the laws mean nothing.
People make the difference.
Thank you for the honor and responsibility of serving as your Lt. Governor. Thank you for having me here today to honor all law enforcement officers and to remember those who have served us by sacrificing their lives for our safety.