Bill Text: VA HJR123 | 2024 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending J.S. Walton.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-02-08 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ123ER) [HJR123 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-HJR123-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, J.S. Walton, an esteemed law-enforcement officer and longtime sheriff of King William County, retired in 2023; and
WHEREAS, after earning an associate's degree from Rappahannock Community College, J.S. "Jeff" Walton embarked upon his career in law enforcement as a dispatcher in 1983 and rose through the ranks over the years to serve as deputy sheriff, sergeant, lieutenant, and investigator; and
WHEREAS, Jeff Walton was first elected sheriff of King William County in 1999 and would go on to be reelected five times, serving as the locality's chief law-enforcement officer from 2000 to 2023; and
WHEREAS, Jeff Walton honed his skills as a law-enforcement officer by receiving basic law-enforcement training in 1985 and advanced arson investigative training in 1995, by becoming a Drug Abuse Resistance Education instructor and Department of Criminal Justice Services general instructor in 1987, and by completing certifications with the National Sheriffs' Institute in 2001 and the Virginia Sheriffs' Institute in 2018; and
WHEREAS, Jeff Walton made an impact on the law-enforcement community as president of the Virginia Sheriffs' Institute from 2009 to 2010, regional director of the Virginia Sheriffs' Association Board of Directors from 2010 to 2012, and board member of the Middle Peninsula Regional Security Center; and
WHEREAS, Jeff Walton gave generously of his time for the benefit of others as a board member of Middle Peninsula Northern Neck Community Services and advisory board member of Bridging Communities Regional Career and Technical Center; and
WHEREAS, beyond his law-enforcement career, Jeff Walton was actively involved in community endeavors through his membership with a number of local service organizations, including the King William Ruritan Club, the Walkerton Fire Department, the Mattaponi Volunteer Rescue Squad, and the King William County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad, of which he was a life member; and
WHEREAS, by demonstrating a deep and unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of the King William County community, Jeff Walton has earned the respect and admiration of all Virginians; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend J.S. Walton, former sheriff of King William County, on the occasion of his retirement; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to J.S. Walton as an expression of the General Assembly's high regard for his remarkable career and legacy of service.
