Tribute to Steve Young

TRIBUTE TO STEVE YOUNG

Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, at this hour in Ohio, final tributes are being paid to Steve Young. I rise this morning on the Senate floor to pay tribute to Steve Young. He is an Ohioan who dedicated his life to keeping our communities safe and free from crime. Steve was well known and a well-respected figure in the law enforcement community; he was elected by his peers to serve as the national President of the Fraternal Order of Police. He held this position until his death from cancer last week, on January 9. Steve was just 49 years old.

Steve Young grew up in Upper Sandusky, OH, and was a graduate of Upper Sandusky High School. He joined the Marion City Police Department in 1976 and spent his entire law enforcement career as an active duty officer in Marion. It was in Marion that Steve first became a member of the FOP, joining lodge 24 in Marion. Steve later went on to serve as President of this local lodge in Marion.

Leadership in the law enforcement community came naturally to Steve as his hard work and dedication earned him the respect and admiration of his peers. Steve went on to become active in the Ohio State Lodge of the FOP and served first as Vice President and then as President of the State FOP, representing Ohio's 24,000 law enforcement officers. Through the Ohio State Lodge, Steve helped to create the Ohio Labor Council. This council created a model for improved labor-management negotiations in police forces—a model that has now been adopted in at least 14 other States.

Mr. President, Members of the Senate, Steve's leadership in the Ohio law enforcement community and his expertise in labor issues earned him a national reputation. In 2001, after serving 4 years as national Vice President, Steve was unanimously elected to serve as the national President of the FOP. In this capacity, Steve represented over 300,000 law enforcement officers nationwide and worked to protect the interests of our Nation's finest. This was, I can tell you, a job that Steve loved and one he did with dignity and pride.

While Steve Young had an incredibly successful career with multiple accomplishments, I also want to take a few moments to discuss my personal connection with Steve. I had the privilege of knowing not just Steve Young the police officer, but also Steve Young the man. Steve was a dear friend for many years. He was someone in whom I had a great deal of trust, and I was fortunate to be able to call on him as a trusted advisor.

Whether it was when I was Lieutenant Governor of Ohio or as a Senator, I had the opportunity to work with Steve for many years, and I have relied on him for advice and counsel. I consulted with Steve regularly on criminal justice issues, and I must tell you that his keen insights have helped shape nearly every piece of criminal justice legislation I have introduced in the Senate, and he helped me immensely when I was Lieutenant Governor carrying out the Governor's criminal justice agenda. Steve made a lasting impression on law enforcement both in Ohio and across our Nation. From pension plans to crime-fighting technology, Steve's foresight and vision have helped bring law enforcement into the 21st century.

One of the last times I saw Steve, he was here in Washington in July for a Judiciary Committee hearing. Fortunately, I had a chance to spend a few brief moments with Steve. That meeting reminds me again of Steve's humility. He was a humble man. He had no airs about him. He was quiet and, I must say, self-effacing. He didn't put on a show or try to impress people with his position or his power within the FOP. People felt comfortable around Steve because he was comfortable around them. He liked people and they liked him back.

At the same time, though, his affable nature didn't hide the fact that Steve Young was also a very strong man, brave, courageous, fearless, and tough as nails. After all, Steve Young was a policeman—exactly the kind of policeman I would have wanted by my side when I was a county prosecutor, the kind of policeman I would have wanted helping me if I were a victim of a crime, the kind of policeman I would have wanted protecting my children and my grandchildren and my entire family.

That was Steve Young—a model for all law enforcement. Because Steve was so humble and unassuming about his work and his position as President of the FOP, many people don't realize just how many leaders relied on him for guidance and counsel. President Bush listened to him. In fact, the President called Steve shortly before his death. I think that shows how much respect President Bush had for him and how much he appreciated Steve's work and service to our Nation.
As I read through so many of the tributes written about Steve and spoken about Steve after his death, I was especially struck by a statement given by Chuck Canterbury, the FOP's national vice president. This is what he said:

In his 11 years as President of the Ohio State Lodge, 4 years as national vice president, and his all too brief term as national president, Steve woke up each morning and went to work for the citizens of Marion City and the rank-and-file officers in every region of the country. He was as dedicated a man, an officer, and a friend as I have ever known.

I could not agree more. This quote illustrates why Steve Young was so special to so many people. He was a humble, dedicated man who devoted his career toward working for the good of his fellow officers, for the good of Ohio, and for the good of this Nation.

Steve's commitment to our community was evident in everything he did. Criminals were caught because of him, and crimes were, in fact, prevented. He was a protector. He was a leader. He was a good, decent, hard-working man for whom I have great respect and admiration.

As I think about Steve's short but full life, I am reminded of a very familiar passage from the Bible, a passage from St. Paul's second letter to Timothy in which St. Paul said:

The time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith.
There is no question, Mr. President, Steve Young fought the good fight. He finished the course. He kept the faith. Steve Young lived a life of great achievement, both public and private, and we will miss him deeply.

My wife Fran and I extend our heartfelt sympathy and our prayers to the entire Young family, especially his wife, Denise; their sons, Staten and Steven; his sisters, Gloria, Kay, and Deborah; and his mother, Lillian. Our thoughts are also with all the police officers in Steve's extended family.

I thank the Chair, and I yield the floor.