88R21080 TBO-D
By: Plesa H.R. No. 940
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Larry Zacharias retired as chief of The University
of Texas at Dallas Police Department on January 31, 2023, drawing to
a close an outstanding tenure with the department that spanned more
than 13 years; and
WHEREAS, This esteemed public servant began his career in law
enforcement in 1977 as a patrol officer with the Richardson Police
Department, and over the course of his more than three decades with
the agency, he rose through the ranks to become chief of police;
following a brief retirement, he took the helm of UT Dallas PD in
2009; under his able leadership, the department grew to include
more than 70 law enforcement officers and civilian employees, and
it earned a reputation for community partnership and
professionalism; in addition, Chief Zacharias played an
instrumental role in establishing the award-winning University
Emergency Medical Response team; and
WHEREAS, Among his many achievements, Chief Zacharias was
named Citizen of the Year by the City of Richardson in 2008 and
Chief of the Year by the UT System Police in 2011 and 2019; he also
received the UT System Police Shield and Distinguished Command
Award upon his retirement; a leader in his profession, he has
further distinguished himself as a former legislative director for
the Texas Police Chiefs Association and as a board member of the
Institute for Law Enforcement Administration and the North Texas
Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory; he holds a bachelor's
degree in law enforcement and police administration from Sam
Houston State University and is a graduate of the FBI National
Academy; and
WHEREAS, Chief Zacharias's dedication, professionalism, and
commitment to serving the students, faculty, and staff at The
University of Texas at Dallas have earned him the gratitude of the
members of that community as well as the admiration of his fellow
officers, and he may indeed reflect with pride on a career well
spent; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate Larry Zacharias on his retirement
as chief of The University of Texas at Dallas Police Department and
extend to him sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Chief Zacharias as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.