National Police Week Scheduled May 10-16

Modifications Made to Events

By Will Johnson

Messenger Reporter

EAST TEXAS – Sunday, May 10 marks the beginning of National Police Week. The week honoring police officers was first recognized in 1962 when President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation designating May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as Police Week.

According to the National Police Week website, found at www.policeweek.org, “Currently, tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from around the world converge on Washington, DC to participate in a number of planned events which honor those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice.”

In addition, the National Peace Officers Memorial Service, sponsored by the Grand Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, is one in a series of events which includes the Candlelight Vigil.

Unfortunately, as more restrictions have been put in place over the last few months because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a decision was made to cancel the public events scheduled for National Police Week in May.

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund announced that the names of the U.S. law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty will be formally dedicated on the walls of the memorial during a virtual Candlelight Vigil on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, according to a news release.

“The current crisis that our nation and the world is facing has resulted in the cancellation of public gatherings in DC during National Police Week 2020,” National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund CEO Marcia Ferranto said in a statement.

“We will not let this crisis deter us from honoring the fallen. We plan to march forward in solidarity with a virtual Candlelight Vigil and the reading of the names that can be watched from anywhere in the world. Then, as the future becomes more certain and the end of the crisis is near, we will begin to make plans for an in-person reading of names to honor our fallen officers,” she added.

This year, 307 names are being engraved on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, DC, adding to the nearly 22,000 killed in the line of duty already memorialized there.

The Candlelight Vigil may be viewed at https://nleomf.org/programs-events/national-police-week/candlelight-vigil.

Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].