Every May 15th Peace Officers Memorial Day pays tribute to local, state, and federal law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice or been injured in the line of duty. It’s also part of Peace Week, recognizing law enforcement officers across the nation.

According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, more than 800,000 law enforcement officers serve in the United States today. Each year, new names are added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, on average 163 deaths per year. Fallen law enforcement officers represent all levels of law enforcement, including local, state, federal, tribal, and military law enforcement. They’re family members, husbands, wives, parents, sons, and daughters.

HOW TO OBSERVE #PeaceOfficersMemorialDay

Many organizations, government agencies, and private citizens fly flags at half-staff in memory of those officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Services honoring the fallen are conducted across the country, including Washington, D.C. Attend a memorial near you. Support families of fallen and injured law enforcement officers.

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial wall in Washington, D.C., features the names of more than 22,000 law enforcement officers who have been killed in the line of duty.

Use #PeaceOfficersMemorialDay to post on social media.

My hope for the future is to focus on solutions that honor those like David Dorn, and less like the riots we’ve seen over officers like Chauvin. The best of our officers protect women and children. Assault, abuse, are realities that these groups are highly vulnerable to.

I hope if I’m ever in that position they are there for me to rely on. While not all are worthy, most just want to do thier jobs and ho home to thier families, just like any other job.

PEACE OFFICERS MEMORIAL DAY HISTORY

On October 1, 1961, Congress asked President John F. Kennedy to designate May 15th as a day to honor peace officers. President Kennedy declared Peace Officers Memorial Day on October 1, 1962.  In 1994, Bill Clinton made an amendment through Public Law 103-322 that directed the United States flag to be flown at half-staff on May 15th in honor of Peace Officers Memorial Day.

An annual Memorial Service gathering began in 1992 in Senate Park and later became known as Police Week.