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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING RICK TANKSLEY, CHIEF OF POLICE FOR THE VILLAGE OF OAK PARK, ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT
WHEREAS, Rick Tanksley, a native Oak Parker who was raised in the Village of Oak Park, joined the ranks of the Oak Park Police Department as a police officer in 1984; and,
WHEREAS, Rick Tanksley, in recognition of his dedication and skill in the field of law enforcement, ascended to the rank of Commander in 1989, and Deputy Chief in 1993; and,
WHEREAS, Rick Tanksley’s superior leadership and police work were acknowledged by his community in 2001, when he was named Oak Park’s 11th Chief of Police; and,
WHEREAS, Rick Tanksley has been an innovator in the area of community policing, spearheading the Oak Park Police Department’s Resident Beat Officer program in 1995; and,
WHEREAS, Rick Tanksley’s approach to law enforcement has always been community-based, rooted in respect for the residents of the Village, and a commitment to transparency and accessibility; and,
WHEREAS, In 2010, under Chief Tanksley’s leadership, the Oak Park Police Department became one of the first law enforcement agencies in the United States to conduct a citizen satisfaction survey; and,
WHEREAS, in recent years, citizens, both within in the Village of Oak Park, and in other communities, have looked to the Oak Park Police Department in general, and Chief Tanksley in particular, to provide insights into how local police departments can build productive, positive relationships with the communities they police;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the president and Cook County Board of Commissioners offer sincere congratulations to Rick Tanksley, Chief of Police for the Village of Oak Park, on a distinguished 33-year career of dedicated service to the Village of Oak Park, and wish Chief Tanksley the very best on all of his future endeavors.
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