WHEREAS, In 1965, Pat was drafted into the U.S. Army where he served one year in Vietnam and received the Bronze Star Medal with a "V" device, which is only awarded for acts of valor in combat; and

WHEREAS, In 1969, Pat joined the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office where he held several positions including: Jail Deputy; Traffic Deputy; Road Deputy, including a period when he was the only deputy on duty in the entire county between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.; Detective, where he was assigned to a variety of units, including Narcotics, Auto Theft, and Major Crimes/Homicide; and

WHEREAS, In total, Pat received over 90 commendations from the Sheriff's Office, including one for heroism after his extraordinary efforts to save two drowning victims on the Sultan River at high risk to his own life; and

WHEREAS, In 1995, Pat accepted the position of Deputy Chief of Operations and Investigations with the Everett Police Department where he received a Distinguished Service Award for planning, administering, and coordinating a Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Unit at the Everett Police Department; and

WHEREAS, In 2000, Pat returned to the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office as Commander of the Snohomish County Narcotics Task Force, now called the Snohomish Regional Drug and Gang Task Force; and

WHEREAS, Commander Slack has led the Task Force with vision and determination; his many accomplishments include: Working to get pseudoephedrine removed from open shelves in stores and placed behind counters during the methamphetamine crisis of the early 2000s; partnering with Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna in support of a statewide prescription monitoring program; facilitating the carrying of Naloxone by first responders to reduce the number of fatalities caused by opioid drug overdoses; creating Project 99 by collaborating with social workers, health workers, code enforcement officers, and others to help people get off drugs and clean up problem properties; and launching a web site focused on educating the public and providing an avenue to share information on drug activity; and

WHEREAS, Under Commander Slack's leadership, the Snohomish Regional Drug and Gang Task Force received numerous awards including: Being named Agency of the Year in 2001 and 2005 by the Western States Information Network, which shares information and coordinates efforts to combat criminal networks such as drug trafficking; being recognized for "outstanding contributions in the field of drug law enforcement" in 2005 by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration; receiving a Letter of Commendation from the Sheriff's Office in 2013 for their work on Project 99 thanking the Task Force for "creating an innovative approach to solving a community problem and for proactively finding ways to make Snohomish County a better place"; and receiving an award for Outstanding Investigative Effort from the Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) in 2014; and

WHEREAS, Pat Slack embodies the highest traditions of law enforcement and, throughout his career, Pat has exhibited crime-fighting initiative and tenacity coupled with a unique sense of compassion for those who need a helping hand;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor Pat Slack and recognize his nearly five decades of exemplary service to the people of Snohomish County.