Bill Text: VA HR310 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Commending E.W. Viar, Jr.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 27-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-03-07 - Bill text as passed House (HR310ER) [HR310 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-HR310-Introduced.html
WHEREAS, E.W. Viar, Jr., a highly experienced law-enforcement officer, retired from the Amherst County Sheriff's Office in 2023 after a distinguished eight-year tenure as sheriff; and
WHEREAS, E.W. Viar's career in law enforcement spanned nearly 40 years, and he used his leadership abilities and experience to implement positive changes in the Amherst County Sheriff's Office, which will continue to enhance its ability to serve the public for years to come; and
WHEREAS, E.W. Viar proudly oversaw the process for the Amherst County Sheriff's Office to achieve full accreditation in 2021; and
WHEREAS, under E.W. Viar's leadership, the Amherst County Sheriff's Office expanded the K-9 program to address a rise in narcotics violations, employed more school resource officers to provide better security in local schools, and adopted new technology, including the use of drones for search and rescue operations and aerial coverage of large events; and
WHEREAS, during his tenure as sheriff, E.W. Viar also advocated for his deputies at the local and state levels to ensure equal pay that reflected years of service, rank, and raises, which ultimately made the Amherst County Sheriff's Office one of the most competitive law-enforcement agencies in the region; and
WHEREAS, E.W. Viar also served as vice-chair of the Central Virginia Criminal Justice Academy and was the first Amherst County sheriff to serve in that capacity in the organization's history; and
WHEREAS, E.W. Viar served the Amherst County community with the utmost dedication, integrity, and distinction and looks forward to spending more time with his family after his well-earned retirement; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That E.W. Viar, Jr., hereby be commended for his service as a law-enforcement officer on the occasion of his retirement as sheriff of Amherst County; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to E.W. Viar, Jr., as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for his legacy of service to the Amherst County community and the Commonwealth.