81R26738 JNC-D
By: Marquez H.R. No. 1717
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The residents of El Paso County lost a dedicated
public servant with the passing of El Paso County Sheriff Leo
Samaniego on December 28, 2007; and
WHEREAS, Sheriff Samaniego served his fellow citizens with
distinction during a career in law enforcement that spanned more
than half a century; after a tenure in the U.S. Navy, he joined the
El Paso Police Department, where his hard work and determination
earned him a number of promotions through the years; and
WHEREAS, In 1984, he retired from the El Paso Police
Department as deputy chief; he was elected sheriff that same year,
and under his able guidance, the office more than doubled in size
and earned national accreditation for law enforcement and two
jails, becoming the first sheriff's office in the state to
accomplish such an achievement; and
WHEREAS, Those who were privileged to know Leo Samaniego will
long remember his dedication to his West Texas community, and
although he is greatly missed, his legacy lives on in the
institutions he nurtured and in the myriad accomplishments he
leaves behind; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Sheriff Leo Samaniego
and extend sincere sympathy to all those who mourn his passing; and,
be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Leo
Samaniego.