WHEREAS, Anthony W. Roper, a dedicated law-enforcement officer with more than four decades of experience, will retire as the sheriff of Clarke County at the end of 2023; and

WHEREAS, a native of Clarke County, Anthony "Tony" W. Roper graduated from Clarke County High School in 1978, then began his career in law-enforcement as a 911 dispatcher and a correctional officer; and

WHEREAS, Tony Roper worked as a deputy sheriff in Loudoun County before returning home to join the Clarke County Sheriff's Office, where he became an investigator specializing in narcotics cases; and

WHEREAS, Tony Roper was a founding member of the Northwest Virginia Regional Drug Task Force and a regional Drugs and Violent Crime Task Force formed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and

WHEREAS, desirous to be of further service to the community, Tony Roper ran for and was elected as sheriff of Clarke County in 2003; he began his first four-year term in January 2004 and was subsequently elected to four more consecutive terms; and

WHEREAS, during his tenure as sheriff, Tony Roper has overseen 40 employees, including dispatchers, administrative staff, and 20 sworn officers; he has fulfilled his duties with professionalism and compassion, inspiring his officers and staff to maintain a commitment to excellence in their mission to serve and protect members of the public; and

WHEREAS, among his proudest accomplishments as sheriff, Tony Roper helped the Clarke County Sheriff's Office meet the rigorous criteria needed to achieve accreditation through the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission in 2011; and

WHEREAS, Tony Roper offered his expertise and wise insights to the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program, the Virginia Center for Policing Innovation, the Northwestern Regional Jail Authority, the Virginia Sheriffs' Institute Board, and the Criminal Justice Services Board; and

WHEREAS, Tony Roper lives in the Wildcat Hollow area with his wife, Karen, and the couple have three children and eight grandchildren; one of his sons and one of his grandsons have both followed in his footsteps as a law-enforcement officer, serving with the Frederick County Sheriff's Office; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Anthony W. Roper hereby be commended on the occasion of his retirement as sheriff of Clarke County; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Anthony W. Roper as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for his legacy of contributions to the Clarke County community and the Commonwealth.