SENATE RESOLUTION
8643

By Senators Poulsen, Stevens, Berkey, Fraser, Benton, Brandland, Brown, Carrell, Clements, Delvin, Eide, Fairley, Franklin, Hargrove, Hatfield, Haugen, Hewitt, Hobbs, Holmquist, Honeyford, Jacobsen, Kastama, Kauffman, Keiser, Kilmer, Kline, Kohl-Welles, Marr, McAuliffe, McCaslin, Morton, Murray, Oemig, Parlette, Pflug, Prentice, Pridemore, Rasmussen, Regala, Roach, Rockefeller, Schoesler, Sheldon, Shin, Spanel, Swecker, Tom, Weinstein and Zarelli

     WHEREAS, On April 29, 1960, Steve Cox was born in Seattle, Washington; and
     WHEREAS, A 1978 graduate of Evergreen High School, Cox earned a bachelor's degree from Central Washington University and a law degree from Willamette University; and
     WHEREAS, Cox's passions in life were his family, serving his community, working on his rental properties, exercising, loving his dogs Luna and Danny, and being a devoted husband and father; and
     WHEREAS, After working as a deputy prosecutor and a city prosecutor, Cox traded in his law degree for a police badge, fulfilling his lifelong dream; and
     WHEREAS, Cox devoted the last nine years of his life to being a Deputy with the King County Sheriff's Office; and
     WHEREAS, The last three years brought him back to his old neighborhood, White Center, where resident Ricardo Guarnero said he was trying to make a difference by giving the "community a sense it could overcome its problems and stigmas"; and
     WHEREAS, To the residents of White Center; his wife, Maria; son, Bronson; and stepdaughter, Nicole, he became a "Superman" who was making the streets safer and neighborhoods better; and
     WHEREAS, As President of the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council, the only publicly elected body in the White Center-Boulevard Park area, he won a Community Builder Award from the Seattle Neighborhood Group, and actively participated in the creation of the Weed and Seed Program; and
     WHEREAS, According to Sheriff Sue Rahr, Cox "epitomized the concept of community policing and giving back to the residents where he worked. Deputy Steve Cox cannot be replaced"; and
     WHEREAS, He cut across class and color lines -- treating his patrol area as his extended family -- and residents felt the same respect for and admiration toward Cox, whose call sign was "Ida 41"; and
     WHEREAS, Many of his colleagues referred to him as "the hardest working deputy sheriff any of us has ever worked with"; and
     WHEREAS, On December 2, 2006, Cox lost his life in the line of duty, leaving the residents of White Center grief stricken, but inspired to carry on his legacy; and
     WHEREAS, A testament to his goal of uniting his community, thousands attended his memorial service at the Christian Faith Center in SeaTac on December 8th; and
     WHEREAS, In the words of Governor Christine Gregoire, Cox was "the embodiment of the best in public service";
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That Deputy Cox's legacy will be that working with police in the spirit of mutual respect is possible; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That "Ida 41" is gone, but will never be forgotten; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the King County Sheriff's Office and Steve Cox's wife, Maria.

I, Thomas Hoemann, Secretary of the Senate,
do hereby certify that this is a true and
correct copy of Senate Resolution 8643,
adopted by the Senate
February 28, 2007

THOMAS HOEMANN
Secretary of the Senate