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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Sergeant Brian J. Burzynski of the Texas Ranger |
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Division of the Department of Public Safety has rendered |
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exceptional service to the residents of this state through his |
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decisive efforts to investigate allegations of abuse at a Texas |
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Youth Commission facility; and |
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WHEREAS, Alerted to a potential situation taking place at the |
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West Texas State School in Pyote, Sergeant Burzynski conducted an |
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investigation and set in motion events that would ultimately bring |
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the matter out into the open; in so doing, he contacted local, |
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state, and federal authorities and delivered compelling testimony |
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before the Joint Select Committee on the Operation and Management |
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of the Texas Youth Commission; and |
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WHEREAS, Sergeant Burzynski's determined pursuit of justice |
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in this case is in keeping with the skill and dedication that he has |
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demonstrated throughout his career; a military veteran, he joined |
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the U.S. Army in 1989 as an intelligence analyst and, over the next |
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four years, served in Germany, in Saudi Arabia during Desert |
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Shield, in Iraq and Kuwait during Desert Storm, and finally in the |
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Foreign Material Intelligence Battalion at Aberdeen Proving Ground |
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in Maryland; following his military service, he enrolled in the |
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Panhandle Regional Law Enforcement Academy, where he earned the |
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Walter Eubanks outstanding graduate award in 1995; he subsequently |
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spent four years with the Hereford Police Department, rising to the |
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rank of detective, and was named the 1997 Officer of the Year; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2000, Sergeant Burzynkski graduated from the |
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Department of Public Safety Academy and joined the Highway Patrol |
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Division, where he received numerous awards for his service; in |
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2004, his performance won him a place among the elite ranks of the |
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Texas Rangers, and in 2006, he was awarded the Master Peace Officer |
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designation, which honors the completion of 4,000 hours of law |
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enforcement training; and |
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WHEREAS, During his testimony before the joint select |
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committee, Sergeant Burzynski recalled his interviews with the |
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young men who had suffered abuse at the TYC facility: "I promised |
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each one of those victims that I would not fail them," Sergeant |
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Burzynski stated; in keeping that vow and pursuing justice, Brian |
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Burzynski has proven himself a law enforcement officer of great |
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determination and integrity, and it is a pleasure to recognize him |
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for his outstanding service to the State of Texas; now, therefore, |
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be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby honor Sergeant Brian J. Burzynski of the Texas Rangers and |
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extend to him sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Sergeant Burzynski as an expression of high regard by |
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the Texas House of Representatives and Senate. |