House Resolution 39

(As Adopted by House)

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE REMARKABLE AND SELFLESS SERVICE OF DETECTIVE SERGEANT CHRIS ROLLAN OF THE HELENA POLICE DEPARTMENT IN HELENA, ALABAMA.

WHEREAS, ever since he was a little boy observing the merit and commitment of his father as the Chief of Police of his hometown, his uncle as Chief of Police for Helena, Alabama, and both of his brothers, Detective Sergeant Chris Rollan dreamed of becoming a police officer, following in his father's footsteps; and

WHEREAS, having begun at age 14 with the Helena Police Explorers and advancing to a cadet program offered by the City of Alabaster, Alabama, while a high school senior, Detective Sergeant Rollan served as a police dispatcher for the city before beginning his role as a reserve officer, at the age of 18, with the small town of Maplesville, Alabama; and

WHEREAS, Detective Sergeant Rollan received his formal law enforcement training through the Jefferson County Sheriffs Academy, and worked on weekends with Oneal Medical, delivering medical supplies to pay his way through the academy after receiving the generous offer of the town of Maplesville, to cover his training expenses; and

WHEREAS, by demonstrating strong commitment to upholding justice and a thorough understanding of law, Detective Sergeant Rollan was assigned as a patrol officer at the age of 20 with a letter from the director of APOST validating the approval for him to work alone at such a young age and six months later he graduated from the academy, in March of 2004; and

WHEREAS, Detective Sergeant Rollan was given the opportunity of a lifetime in December of 2004 when he was hired as an officer for the City of Helena, a very special place for him, since he actually lived in Alabaster but had grown up in Helena, where his uncle had retired as chief in 2001; and

WHEREAS, immersing himself full throttle into his dream career after successfully completing the field training officer program, Detective Sergeant Rollan was told on several occasions by his supervisors that he was "working too much" or should "slow down," but he remained steadfast to the responsibilities assigned to him as an enforcer of the law, remaining with the patrol division until 2008 when he was reassigned and promoted to the detective division; and

WHEREAS, Detective Sergeant Rollan remained true to the integral core values instilled in him by his family members who set the bar for him, and prided himself on the efforts undertaken to give back to the community, constantly reminding himself to always be honest and do what is right, holding dear to what he was always told as a young boy that "if you lose your name, you have lost everything."; and

WHEREAS, in December of 2009 after the local Winn Dixie was robbed at gunpoint, Detective Sergeant Rollan made it a priority to find the culprit and endeavored for approximately one month working very closely with the Winn Dixie group, which had suffered as many as 15 other robberies in the 12 months prior to the Helena robbery, and after an exhaustive investigation he was able to apprehend a suspect tied to all of the Winn Dixie robberies in the Birmingham, Alabama, metropolitan area, which resulted in a total loss for Winn Dixie of nearly $78,000; and

WHEREAS, for his tenacity and diligence to bring an individual to justice for the unscrupulous activity, the National Retail Federation honored Detective Sergeant Rollan the prestigious Officer of the Year Award in June of 2010, given to one police officer a year, for his work on the Winn Dixie case and for exemplary service and working to keep the retail industry safe; and

WHEREAS, having been involved with several cases since becoming a detective in 2008 on the local, state, and federal level, Detective Sergeant Rollan has received numerous award commendations for his work on various cases, including: completing several hours of continuing education hours mandated by the State of Alabama; becoming a member of the local Masonic Lodge and a member of the Fraternal Order of Police; assigned as the Helena Police Department's investigator; named 2009 Officer of the Year for the City of Helena; received an award from the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce; completed the Chicago-based Reid Group's advanced interview and interrogation skills and detecting deception; attended countless hours of kinesiology training to be able to detect whether or not someone is lying; presented various speeches about suicide awareness and reduction; promoted to detective sergeant in 2011; tapped as second in command for Helena's nationally recognized Police Explorer Program; received Master Mason Degree through Buck Creek Lodge Number 410 in 2012; and solved several pharmaceutical robberies in the Birmingham metropolitan area; and

WHEREAS, while the public recognitions are all worthwhile and humbling, Detective Sergeant Rollan considers his family, wife, Amy, and children, Molly and Connor, as his greatest accomplishments and most rewarding gifts, and honors the values instilled in him by his parents, Larry and Elaine Rollan, for grooming him to acknowledge the sacrifices made by those who daily put their lives in harm's way to provide for their families and making society a better and safer place to live; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to acknowledge and commend the selfless services of the men and women in law enforcement of Detective Sergeant Rollan's caliber, who willingly go above and beyond the call of duty to uphold the principles of justice while protecting and serving the citizens of their communities:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend the remarkable and selfless service of Detective Sergeant Chris Rollan of the Helena Police Department in Helena, Alabama, express gratitude for the daily sacrifice of his time and efforts to ensure a better and safer Alabama, and extend heartfelt wishes for success in all of his future endeavors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Detective Sergeant Chris Rollan and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.