The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“RETIREMENT OF CARL STOKES” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Senate section on pages S6326-S6327 on June 15, 1998.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
RETIREMENT OF CARL STOKES
Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a man who has rendered a great service to the State of South Carolina through his efforts as a professional law enforcement officer, Carl B. Stokes.
Just like his father, who was the Sheriff of Darlington County, Carl Stokes has literally dedicated his life to crime fighting. As a matter of fact, I am told that he is supposed to be the longest serving lawman in the Palmetto State, and his distinguished career began in the 1950's while he was still attending the University of South Carolina and joined the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED). In just a few weeks, he will bring that career to a close when he retires from his position as System Vice President for Law Enforcement and Safety for the University of South Carolina.
For more than 25-years, Carl Stokes held a number of positions within SLED, including undercover operations, crowd control, investigations, and forensics. As a trusted, competent, and reliable member of SLED, Carl Stokes caught the attention of that agency's chief, J.P. Strom, who tapped Stokes to undertake an innovative and important project-
creating a computer system for law enforcement in South Carolina. He is also credited with implementing the first incident-based Uniform Crime Reporting System, which is used by all law enforcement agencies in the Palmetto State.
In addition to his work at SLED, Stokes made a number of important contributions to professionalizing law enforcement in South Carolina. He was involved in many organizations, associations, and committees that worked to make law enforcement at all levels more professional and efficient. Through his involvement with these groups, he became very well known throughout the state and region, and his expertise was respected by many. This varied and progressive experience made him an ideal candidate to head up law enforcement and security operations at the University of South Carolina, and in 1981, Carl Stokes returned to college, this time not as a student, but as a cop.
Law enforcement on college campuses has changed tremendously in the past twenty years. Colleges and universities have diverse populations that are essentially the size of small cities, and it is critical that such institutions have professional police forces that are trained in everything from community relations to resolving a hostage crisis. Such a responsibility is a tremendous task, but Carl Stokes was able to carry out his duties with seeming ease. Over the past seventeen years, he has helped to make certain that students, faculty, and staff are safe and secure in housing, classrooms, and university property. He and his department have worked closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Secret Service, the Department of State, the United Nations, and a host of other national and international law enforcement agencies in order to provide security to visiting dignitaries as well as to provide police services on the nine USC campuses. Impressively, Carl Stokes also worked to ensure that the University of South Carolina Division of Law Enforcement and Safety gained national accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. This is an especially noteworthy achievement as this is one of only fifteen college and university police departments in the United States to earn such a professional recognition.
I am certain that after such a long and distinguished career, it must be difficult for Carl Stokes to take off his badge and hang-up his gun, but he can do so knowing that in his more than four decades as a law enforcement official, he made countless contributions to the safety and security of society. I am pleased to note that all three of his children have followed in his footsteps in one way or another, his two sons are involved in law enforcement and his daughter works for the University of South Carolina. I wish Carl and his wife health and happiness in the years to come, I know that they will both enjoy being able to spend time with their children and grandchildren and reflecting on a full life.
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