On the recordMay 13, 2015
This week we celebrate National Police Week, when we recognize the service and sacrifice of the brave men and women who have lost their lives in the line of duty while serving to protect us. National Police Week began in 1962, when President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation designating May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that falls as Police Week. The memorial service began in 1982 as a gathering in Senate Park of approximately 120 survivors and supporters of law enforcement. Decades later, National Police Week has grown to a series of events which attracts thousands of survivors and law enforcement officers to our Nation's Capital each year. National Police Week draws in between 25,000 and 40,000 participants. The National Peace Officers' Memorial Service, which is sponsored by the Grand Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, is one in a series of events which includes the candlelight vigil, which is sponsored by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, and seminars sponsored by Concerns of Police Survivors. The attendees come from departments throughout the United States as well as from agencies throughout the world. This provides a unique opportunity to meet others who share a common brotherhood. Our police force all around America plays an essential role in our communities, putting their lives on the line every day to protect us.…
