Resolution two honoring Chief James Walters

24:22Okay, rest two.

24:27Resolution number 25148, a resolution by the Board of County Commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, honoring Chief James E. Walters for his service to the citizens of Pasco County and Dade City and congratulating him on his retirement. Whereas James E. Walters grew up in Inverness, Florida, and attended Pasco Hernando Community College, Gowers Corner campus, where he received his law enforcement certification in 1995. And whereas prior to graduating from St.

24:57Leo College in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in criminology, James E. Walters worked as a wrestling coach and an assistant football coach at Pasco. High School and was on the coaching staff when Pasco High School won the state championship in 1992. And whereas in 1995, James E. Walters joined the Dade City Police Department as a patrolman and moved up in rank over the years, including detective, sergeant, captain, and police chief, where he was committed

25:28to the protecting the life, property, and individual rights. while maintaining peace and order and instilling the core values of respect, integrity, professionalism, and service. And whereas from nineteen ninety nine to two thousand eighteen, James E. Walters taught at PHC, now PHSC, as an instructor in the Law Enforcement Academy, teaching well over a thousand recruits, many of whom now work for the County Sheriff's Office. And whereas in

25:582006, then Sergeant James E. Walters earned his master's degree from St. Leo University in Criminal Justice Administration and continued to work at the university as an adjunct faculty in the criminal justice program. And whereas since twenty eighteen, Chief James E. Walters has made it a priority to host an annual back to school shop with a cop, program to instill in confidence in local students and ensure they

26:28have the essentials to be successful in school. And whereas in 2019 Chief James E. Walters was awarded the President's Award through the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce and was elected president of the Tampa Bay Area Chief of Police Association in 2022. And whereas Chief James E. Walters took great pride in his commitment in implementing a true community policing model within Dade City, where he promoted his philosophy

26:58of stop, walk, and talk to assist in fostering a change, uh fostering a culture of trust within the community of Dade City. And whereas Chief James E. Walters consistently provided exceptional customer service and professional law enforcement services, as evidenced by the support he has received from the community he served, while fostering strong relationships with Pasco County, Pasco County Sheriff's Office, Pasco County School District, Pasco County Emergency Management, and

27:28Pasco County Fire Rescue. And Whereas Chief James E. Walters retired on February 28th, 2025, after serving Dade City with dedication and distinction for a 30-year career in the law enforcement profession. Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Board of County Commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, the said board hereby expresses its gratitude and appreciation for Chief James E. Walters. and his contributions to the Dade City Police Department, the community

27:59of Dade City, and Pasco County, and extends his best wishes to Chief James E. Walters for a long, healthy, and happy retirement. Dunning resolved in regular session with the quorum president voting this eleventh day of March twenty twenty-five.

28:14Move approval. Second.

28:16All in favor? Aye. And this one is Seth. Is it Seth? No. Yes.

28:22I had two. I just had two great guys come forward, so but uh Chief Waters. Thank you for being here today and we I'm honored to be your friend and I'm honored to have been with you and seen you in service and you did a great job for Dade City and just on and on the things that you did to make Dade City citizens very safe and did a great job of bringing everybody together here in Dade City along with Dade City and

28:52the county. to do the right thing for the citizens of Dayton City and Pasco County. So thank you.

28:58Thank you, Ron.

29:00You wanna say some more? You got plenty to say I'm sure.

29:04Oh yes, we can hear from you.

29:06Thank you, Madam Chair and Members of the County Commission. I'm I'm honored to be here today and I'm grateful for the recognition of enjoyed, as stated in the resolution, great partnerships with all of your departments in in Pasco County from emergency management, fire rescue, Uh public works helping out during natural disasters. Uh it it's We're nothing without the partnerships that we have and and we can't accomplish anything by ourselves as you well know. And

29:37so I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful for the the partnership that we had uh and hopefully continue to have with Pasco Sheriff's Office and uh just keeping all of our citizens and visitors to this community safe. Thank you.

29:52Thank you very much. Commissioner Weightman. Thank you. Well, Chinese,

29:55good to see ya. Retirement looks good on you. You know, thank again, you know. Being a municipal police chief is more than just being a chief. You become part-time city manager, part-time sanitation worker, social worker, you name the hats that you've probably worn in your career over the decades. You know, it doesn't go unnoticed. And with your uh children's programs and making police

30:26human towards youngsters and taking away the potential You know Not intimidating factor, but making making your local law enforcement approachable to the youth is something that goes a long way in building rapport between the public and a police department. And you've done a wonderful job with that. And I think and I hope that legacy will continue. And um, you know, just the legacy of public service within your household, within the education world. Well thank you

30:56both. Um the untold hours you put in into investing in our kids and our community uh public services. It's a special job, and thank you both for for making a a lifetime of of that work. So congratulations to you both and um it's good to see you.

31:13Thank you very much. Thank

31:14you.

31:16Okay, well congratulations. Oh yeah.

31:18Does someone else want to say something? Okay. Well, first of all, happy retirement. Thank you. Congratulations. Um I never knew about shop with a cop. That sounds really cool. Um I'd love to go to that event. And um just also thank you to your family for you know supporting him because being a daughter of a police officer, it's not easy being a family member. So thank you for everything you've done. for our community and thank you to your family.

31:42Thank

31:42you, Lisa.

31:44Yes, of course.

31:45Chief I want to tell you you've had a stellar career. Um the way you've lived your life in this community has been phenomenal. Uh I grew up in a small little town. We had a police chief and a really close association with it and He was so tied in the community just like you with sports. Um and I think when you tie in sports, just the other activities, it makes the kids feel safe, the families feel safe, it brings the community together. And then when your leadership to go to even a state championship, even better. But I think the pride that you brought to this community and the way you've

32:15you carried yourself couldn't couldn't be any better, couldn't be prouder and Uh I wish her all the best in retirement.

32:21Thank you so much. Thank you.

32:22And and I would echo everything my uh commissioners have said and I'm sure we're gonna see you around the community still. So congratulations on your retirement.

32:31Thank you, Madam Chairman.

32:32And this is kind of unique. Normally I sit here and say nothing, but to have two back to back. Um Jim, I mean it was my pleasure to be your city manager at a point in time in the past, um, and having worked with you on many things, from Kumquat to you name it and uh being involved with the uh with the various organizations that you have assisted us when we

33:02were doing our projects so uh personally Congratulations and the very, very best. And from Nikki, uh who, as I mentioned, she's in Tallahassee today, wanted me to be sure to convey to you appreciation for working with the clerk's office and in uh in the many ways that we interact and uh from her too, all the best.

33:28Please extend my appreciation to her as well. Thank you. And thank you, Harold.

33:52In addition to my family and others uh Some friends in the audience would would you all come forward for the picture also? I don't know if we'll break a protocol here but Jenny, Sure. Whoever else Kelly Sinn?

34:06Come on, Chief. Who are we?

34:21Yeah.

34:25If you could

34:27Someone else stepping behind.

34:29Yeah, we're gonna have to have some folks in the front, if you could.

34:36Someone else has

34:37to come up

34:38with the

34:39pain just.

35:11Almost sat in your safe here. Yeah. All right, I'll see you.