WHEREAS, George W. Austin, Jr., a dedicated public servant who was a captain in the Bureau of Criminal Investigation of the Virginia State Police and division commander of the Salem Field Office, retired on November 1, 2013, after more than 37 years in law enforcement; and

WHEREAS, George "Stick" Austin joined the Virginia State Police on December 1, 1974; he served in a variety of departments and worked in Northern Virginia, Botetourt County, the Salem Field Office, and at State Police Headquarters in Richmond; and

WHEREAS, after serving as a trooper in both a heavily populated jurisdiction and a rural county, in 1984, Stick Austin was transferred to the Bureau of Criminal Investigation for four years, specializing in narcotics investigations; and

WHEREAS, Stick Austin later worked in the Planning and Research Unit at State Police Headquarters and served on a one-year assignment with the Virginia State Crime Commission; and

WHEREAS, in 1990, Stick Austin was promoted to assistant special agent in charge (first sergeant) and became one of two statewide coordinators for the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program; later, he was transferred to the Bureau of Field Operations; and

WHEREAS, Stick Austin was promoted to lieutenant in the General Investigation Division in the Richmond Field Office of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation in 2001; the next year, he responded to two of the sniper shooting incidents around Washington, D.C., and was the on-scene commander for the shooting in Ashland that October; and

WHEREAS, becoming a captain in 2004, Stick Austin was assigned to the Salem Field Office, where he participated in several high-profile investigations, including as incident commander for the criminal investigations of the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings in Norris Hall; at the time of his retirement, he had risen to the rank of division commander; and

WHEREAS, Stick Austin is an exemplar of the bravery, dedication to duty, and sacrifice shown by law enforcement officers and first responders throughout the Commonwealth; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend George W. Austin, Jr., on the occasion of his retirement from the Virginia State Police after 37 years of service; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to George W. Austin, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly's respect and admiration for his many years of public service to protect the Commonwealth and its citizens.