Source-The Daily Caller-
This week, weather permitting, the soft glow of thousands of candles will illuminate the Washington Mall between 4th and 7th Streets. A great many of those holding the candles and passing the flame that gives them light will be law enforcement leaders and beat cops, supporting each other and recognizing the devastating loss of dozens of their brothers and sisters while “on the job.” Most important of all, those gathered will try to share burden of loss visited upon the mothers, fathers, spouses, sons and daughters of the fallen who will be in their midst and in their hearts.
In May 1963, President John F. Kennedy issued Proclamation 3537, recognizing that from our nation’s very beginnings, “law enforcement officers have played an important role in safeguarding the rights and freedoms which are guaranteed by the Constitution and in protecting the lives and property of our citizens”, noting that Police Week, which occurs during the week of May 15 each year, is intended to honor peace officers who “through their courageous deeds, have lost their lives or have become disabled in the performance of duty.”
The Kennedy proclamation invited governments, organizations and the people to observe Police Week with ceremonies in which all could join to commemorate, “law enforcement officers, past and present, who by their faithful and loyal devotion to their responsibilities have rendered a dedicated service to their communities, and, in so doing, have established for themselves an enviable and enduring reputation for preserving the rights and security of all citizens.”
Fifty-five years after that noble proclamation, Police Week events are again centered around the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial near Judiciary Square in Northwest Washington D.C., where the names of over 21,000 officers who lost their lives in the line of duty are carved into low stone walls. This year, over 300 more names will be added to the growing list that now includes officers and agents who responded to the 9/11 plane crash sites and were later felled because of their exposure to deadly toxins at the sites. Read more