California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 135

Introduced by Assembly Member Dahle

February 8, 2016

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 135—Relative to the Officer Jack Polen Memorial Highway.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

ACR 135, as introduced, Dahle. The Officer Jack Polen Memorial Highway.

This measure would designate a specified portion of State Highway Route 44 in the County of Shasta as the Officer Jack Polen Memorial Highway. The measure would also request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering the cost, to erect those signs.

Fiscal committee: yes.

WHEREAS, Officer Jack Polen was born on November 4, 1957,
the youngest of five sons born to Gertrude and Floyd Polen; and

WHEREAS, Officer Polen knew he wanted to become a
California Highway Patrolman at a young age. He joined the ROTC
program at Enterprise High School, where he graduated in 1975,
and went on to earn an A.A. degree in Criminal Justice from Shasta
College and a B.A. in Criminal Justice from California State
University, Sacramento; and

WHEREAS, Officer Polen graduated from the California
Highway Patrol Academy in 1980, and was stationed in the areas
of Redwood City, Woodland, and Redding before being assigned
to the State Highway Route 44 beat in 2002; and

WHEREAS, Officer Polen’s attitude, work ethic, and
professionalism showed in his dedication to making State Highway
Route 44 as safe as it could be; and

WHEREAS, During his four years patrolling State Highway
Route 44, Officer Polen drove 126,251 miles, wrote 3,436 citations,
and made 125 DUI arrests, saving many lives and earning himself
the nickname “The 44 Enforcer”; and

WHEREAS, Officer Polen lost his battle with cancer on
December 9, 2013, at the age of 56; and

WHEREAS, Officer Polen was a loving husband to his wife,
Danielle, and a proud and loving father to his three sons, Justin,
Jared, and Connor, and his three daughters, Breann, Jamie, and
Makenna; and

WHEREAS, Jack Polen is remember by his loved ones as a
kind, supportive, and thoughtful person, who loved life, family,
and friends, and always took the time to chat with those he knew;
and

WHEREAS, In order to memorialize the sacrifice, dedication,
and life of Officer Polen, it would be a fitting tribute to designate
a portion of State Highway Route 44 in the County of Shasta in
his honor; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates the
portion of State Highway Route 44 between post mile R 27.882
at Wilson Hill Road and post mile 35.930 at Airport Way in the
County of Shasta as the Officer Jack Polen Memorial Highway;
and be it further

Resolved, That the Department of Transportation is requested
to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special
designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources
sufficient to cover that cost, to erect those signs; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
of this resolution to the Director of Transportation and to the author
for appropriate distribution.