WHEREAS, Sheriff William Cumming, an infantry veteran of the Vietnam War; six term elected sheriff of San Juan County, and a graduate of the U.C. Berkeley School of Criminology, has served to ensure the county and its communities have the resources to fulfill the basic mission of law enforcement; and
     WHEREAS, The public safety, peace, and well-being of a community is maintained and protected by the professionalism, vigilance, attention, and strength to the needs of its citizens by its law enforcement; and
     WHEREAS, Sheriff Cumming has led the men and women of the San Juan County Sheriff's Department who are some of the finest and most dedicated public servants in justice; and
     WHEREAS, Sheriff Cumming leaves his public safety operations after years of service in law and justice as the second longest serving sheriff in Washington State; and
     WHEREAS, He continuously relied on support from his loving family to help carry him on through his years of service to his community; and
     WHEREAS, Sheriff Cumming has also served the community with his many countless hours as a volunteer, and we are indebted for his service to our community; and
     WHEREAS, Sheriff Cumming has consolidated and improved the efficiency and effectiveness of dispatch units in the county; and
     WHEREAS, Sheriff Cumming has worked to acquire critical watercraft operated and maintained by the department to serve the police, medical, and emergency transportation needs of the county; and
     WHEREAS, He collaborated with San Juan Islands Emergency Medical Services to retrofit a Sheriff's Department boat, known as "The Guardian," into a fully licensed ambulance that could serve as a backup in shuttling critical care patients to the mainland when planes and helicopters were grounded by bad weather; and
     WHEREAS, Sheriff Cumming often piloted "The Guardian" when weather conditions were extreme, because his expertise and knowledge of the islands and the water remain second to none; and
     WHEREAS, In the last few years, several lives have been saved because of his willingness to put himself out there on the line, demonstrating how he has been a real hero for his community; and
     WHEREAS, He worked relentlessly to help pass levies to keep schools and other community programs like Island Recreation going on schedule; and
     WHEREAS, He fathered two sons, Dan and Tim Cumming, who have successfully launched into their own lives at Johns Hopkins University and Pacific Lutheran University; and
     WHEREAS, Sheriff Cumming has overseen the modernization and enhancements of the Sheriff's Department and its ability to quickly respond, both on land and water; and
     WHEREAS, Sheriff Cumming's retirement signifies the end of a great era in law enforcement and public safety, while allowing him to begin anew; and
     WHEREAS, His professional career may have come to an end, but his legacy of true dedication as a public servant will continuously live on through those who had the pleasure to know and work with him, and the paths of leadership he left behind;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate recognize and congratulate Sheriff William Cumming for his twenty-four years as Sheriff and his dedication to the citizens of San Juan County and the State of Washington; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution honoring him be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to Sheriff William Cumming, Mrs. Maude Cumming, and Mr. Tim and Dan Cumming; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution honoring Sheriff Cumming be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the San Juan County Sheriff's Department, the San Juan Islander, the Island Guardian, the Island Sounder, and the Journal of San Juans.