Honor Gary B. Kelly Retirement

Senate Resolution No. 1401 BY: Senator JORDAN CONGRATULATING Technical Lieutenant Gary B. Kelly upon the occasion of his retirement after 32 years of distinguished service to the New York State Police WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize and honor those distinguished citizens who would devote themselves to public service, demonstrating great courage and diligence in providing for the care and welfare of the citizens of their communities and this great Empire State; and WHEREAS, The quality of life in these communities is largely reflective of the commitment and dedication demonstrated by members of the agencies which serve to protect, preserve and maintain public order; and WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to congratulate Technical Lieutenant Gary B. Kelly upon the occasion of his retirement after 32 years of distinguished service to the New York State Police to be celebrated with a Party in his honor on June 11, 2019; and WHEREAS, Gary B. Kelly began his illustrious career with the New York State Police on September 22, 1986; and WHEREAS, Technical Lieutenant Gary B. Kelly currently oversees the State Police Campus Sexual Assault Victims Unit (CSAVU), a highly specialized unit of trained investigators tasked with responding to reports of interpersonal violence on college campuses and within campus communities, and providing training and assistance to colleges and universities across the state; he will officially retire from this esteemed position on Wednesday, May 29, 2019; and WHEREAS, Instrumental in the establishment of CSAVU, Technical Lieutenant Gary B. Kelly is responsible for developing and managing the unit's operation; under his able leadership, the work of CSAVU has been highly effective and has received statewide and national recognition; and WHEREAS, Prior to serving in this position, Technical Lieutenant Gary B. Kelly served as the statewide AMBER Alert Coordinator for New York State for more than 10 years, and along with CSAVU, simultaneously managed the New York State Police Special Victims Unit (SVU); and WHEREAS, In the dual role, Technical Lieutenant Gary B. Kelly was responsible for managing the staff and work of CSAVU members across the state in their outreach to college and university campuses, their response to and the investigation of reports of sexual assault and other crimes of interpersonal violence, and operating a prevention education campaign; and WHEREAS, Technical Lieutenant Gary B. Kelly was also responsible for managing the staff and work of the state police members assigned to the Special Victims Unit; in that capacity, he oversaw the development and implementation of law enforcement training in the fields of child abuse, trauma informed sexual assault response and investigation, elder abuse, and the state's AMBER Alert program; and WHEREAS, As the State's AMBER Alert Coordinator, Technical Lieutenant Gary B. Kelly managed the AMBER Alert Program and chaired the AMBER Alert Committee; he was responsible for reviewing activation requests, determining if criteria were met for activation, and for activating the State's AMBER Alert system for cases involving child abductions; and WHEREAS, Technical Lieutenant Gary B. Kelly activated New York State's AMBER Alert system in 60 child abduction cases involving 72 children, including cross border and international cases; and WHEREAS, Gary B. Kelly holds a master's degree from the State University of New York at Albany School of Criminal Justice and has been instructing as a certified police instructor for two decades; and WHEREAS, Furthermore, he has instructed police recruits, veteran investigators, police leadership, advocates and social service professionals, prosecutors, and numerous other criminal justice partners; he was also a staff member of an intensive training program on forensic interviewing of children; and WHEREAS, Technical Lieutenant Gary B. Kelly also has 15 years of field experience as an investigator, conducting investigations of child abuse, sexual assault, homicide, and other felony offenses; he spent four years assigned to a Major Crimes Homicide Unit and participated in the investigation of numerous homicides, sexual assaults, and cold cases; and WHEREAS, Truly dedicated to his profession, Technical Lieutenant Gary B. Kelly has also served on numerous task forces and committees, including the New York State Children's Justice Task Force, NYS AMBER Alert Committee, NYS Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team, and other advisory groups related to issues pertaining to special victims; and WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that those dedicated public servants who unselfishly devote their lives to the preservation of order and the protection of others are worthy and due full praise for their commitment and noble endeavors; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to congratulate Technical Lieutenant Gary B. Kelly upon the occasion of his retirement after 32 years of distinguished service to the New York State Police; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Technical Lieutenant Gary B. Kelly.