Honoring and recognizing Major Benjamin F. Brooks for his historic career in the Pennsylvania State Police and his role in expanding opportunity in law enforcement.

Honoring and recognizing Major Benjamin F. Brooks for his historic career in the Pennsylvania State Police and his role in expanding opportunity in law enforcement. WHEREAS, Major Benjamin F. Brooks, a native of Elizabethtown, North Carolina, has lived a life defined by dedication to public service and the advancement of fairness in American institutions; and WHEREAS, In 1961, Brooks enlisted in the Pennsylvania State Police, becoming one of the first African Americans in the history of the agency and helping to open doors of opportunity within law enforcement at a time when such representation was rare; and WHEREAS, Through determination and exemplary service, Brooks rose through the ranks to become the first African American captain and troop commander in the history of the Pennsylvania State Police, breaking barriers and establishing a path for future generations of minority officers; and WHEREAS, In 1987, Brooks again made history when he became the first enlisted member of the Pennsylvania State Police to lead the Affirmative Action and Contract Compliance Division, where he worked to strengthen equity within the agency and across government; and WHEREAS, During his leadership of that division, Brooks developed the Pennsylvania State Police’s Sexual Harassment Policy and Training Program and worked with a multi-agency task force that trained police and correctional departments throughout the Commonwealth on the enforcement of ethnic intimidation laws related to hate crim…